I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

The true leader of the ritual was Ibdullah, who held a single-sided drum, while the "deacon" in charge of the ritual was a wandering musician holding a flute.

Both of them received the Third Mark, qualifying them to go to the Stag Gate in the Manor and solve the riddles of the gatekeeper. Once they pass the test, they will be touched by the Stars and receive the true Third Mark, becoming among the few who know everything in all of history.

But these are insignificant compared to the noble blood of the earth.

There are only three seconds left.

The exiles were close at hand; she stretched out her arms, confident she could decapitate both of them at the same time.

The wandering musician raised his hand and threw his flute at the exile, while simultaneously slamming his palm heavily into the air. A faint yet resounding bell sound burst forth from his fingertips, sending a tingling, numbing sensation through the air.

Behind him, Ibdullah, with a ferocious expression, also raised his intact hand, clenched his fist, and struck the drumhead resting on his knee.

Boom!

In that instant, the invisible spell planted in the bodies of the exiles was dispelled. It wasn't that the wandering musicians gave up the assassination, but that the caster had died.

The exile, now back to normal, used the Demon King's Blade to deflect the flying flute, but immediately felt a chill wash over him.

The cold, a tangible cold, seeped from my very bones. My heart pounded, my face turned deathly pale, and my veins throbbed as they struggled to pump blood, yet I felt no warmth.

That's a sense of crisis.

A splitting headache.

The next instant, she sprang up from her spot like a spring, crashed mercilessly into the wall, then burst through the wall and plunged headfirst into the bustling marketplace.

Such a dramatic change in the blink of an eye immediately caused a huge uproar.

A series of loud crashes, the neighing of horses, screams, and roars rose and fell. Several carriages collided while trying to avoid her, and even a few innocent coachmen fell to the ground and broke their legs.

Innocent pedestrians screamed and made way for them.

In the chaos, everyone glared at the exile who had suddenly appeared, but she ignored them, only turning back to stare intently at the spot where she had come out. Several angry pedestrians crossed the street and walked towards her, and an innocent carriage passed by.

They continued to move forward, but at a slower and slower pace, until finally they collapsed to the ground amidst the gasps of hundreds of onlookers.

As they fell to the ground, their flesh turned into mud and slowly dissolved, even their bones took on an eerie bluish hue. Then, countless tiny black dots appeared on the surface of the bones, until the dots turned into huge cavities that completely covered the bones and made them disappear.

Even the horses pulling the cart collapsed without a sound, and a gust of wind blew them away, leaving only a tangled mass of flesh and fascia.

The entire carriage then collapsed and turned to dust.

Only then did the sound of bells and drums slowly spread from that restricted area, and then dozens of meters of white walls collapsed and turned to ashes at the same time.

Even from this distance, one's limbs and bones still seemed to be dominated by the tremors, making one's hands and feet involuntarily weak and nauseous.

The first to be destroyed by the sound of bells and drums were the wandering musicians and Ibdullah, who were already dead when they decided to unleash their inner voices.

289

Half an hour later, at a wealthy villa in the Caspar district.

The servants rolled up the blue-purple velvet curtains, and golden sunlight spilled onto the windowsills and the open space in front of the villa. The pigeons on the balcony railings were startled and flapped their wings, taking flight and scattering blue-gray feathers all over the ground.

Mustafa, the owner of the villa, was not there; he was speaking on behalf of the exiles with the de facto leader of the National Liberation Front.

At this moment, everyone gathered here, and the removal of the Mind-Body-Form Technique restored them to their normal state.

The musicians' motive for assassinating them was ridiculous: because they hadn't changed into the clothes of local Algiers Muslims and were almost all white, they wanted to take precautions and strike first before the French helped them.

This was not a perfectly planned and organized assassination. The organizational structure of the National Liberation Front meant that it was impossible for them to carry out large-scale planning. Each person in the organization had only one superior and two subordinates. In this way, if a link in the chain broke, the entire organization would not be eradicated because you only knew three people and didn't know anyone else.

This preserved the organization's structure in a sense, but how could a group of four people possibly launch a well-planned attack?

Since their lives were in danger, even the freest of the Star Antimony Stars didn't utter a word of regret.

The National Liberation Front is bound together by national pride and faith. Its followers, brainwashed by its doctrines, will not listen to its explanations and will show no mercy to anyone who might help the "French white pigs".

The exile looked at two things on the table. One of them was a section of cardiovascular tissue that glowed red. When one looked at this tissue, it would even contract and beat rhythmically, as if it were still connected to the heart.

In Li Lin's data perspective, this relic, which was taken from the wandering musician, possesses the characteristics of a rare object.

[Second respirator]

[A first-order mental artifact.]

[Characteristic: Sincerity. This item can store energy and unleash it at a specific time.]

When it was separated from its owner, it drank blood from the heart. I can still recall the passionate playing of its previous owner, every note perfectly matching his heartbeat.

[Characteristic: Breathing. This item can continuously heal its owner.]

It once had a completely different heartbeat and breathing, but now it submits to another heartbeat.

[Characteristic: Awakening. This item will not loosen its grip on the heart; if not stored properly, it will one day seize your heart.]

This item must be wrapped tightly to prevent it from being deprived of blood for too long and thus turning its thirsty spear against the innocent.

This is why mind-reading artifacts are so sought after in the mystical realm, and secret cults often train a few mind-reading superhumans. They can inspire, uplift, and heal, and while they may not be powerful in one-on-one combat, they can have a miraculous effect on turning the tide of a war.

Just like this cardiovascular-shaped artifact called the Second Breather, it is very appealing whether it is for continuous healing after the battle or for directly channeling vitality to heal serious injuries during the battle.

According to the exiles' estimates, this first-tier artifact of the Mind Aspect could fetch a premium in the black market of the mystical world, even reaching the level of second-tier artifacts of other orientations.

“But the Heart Aura isn’t just about healing and support, is it?” Xingti stared longingly at another strange object on the table, which was none other than the single-sided drum that Abdullah had been holding earlier. “What happened at the market earlier?”

The dull sounds of bells and drums erupted at the same time, followed by dozens of meters of white walls used to divide the market and the streets turning to dust at the same time. Several people were also caught in the crossfire and died without a complete body. Fortunately, the National Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the incident, and the Moth and Heart Immortals, who were in charge of the aftermath, completely erased the incident from people's minds.

“Yes, that was a burst of heartbeats.” It was Virtue who spoke up for the ignorant exile. As the only one among so many people present who had a proper academic background, she described the scene as if she were there herself.

"In the constellations of the heart, the skin of thunder can stir up storms and thunder, while the twins of the sea can calm the storms. Silk brings the protection of shadows, while the ring cedar corresponds to vitality, new life, prosperity and lush life. The lion craftsman often sings a victorious war song when he returns in triumph."

"The heart is the principle of life, survival, and protection; it is the unceasing drumbeat and the principle of dance. All of these are connected by music."

Veltin paused for a moment: "So, the heartbeat in the chests of those wandering musicians is their unique 'music,' and the bells and drums we hear are actually their heartbeats."

Just as the Crimson Cup in the Sichen Sect peeled away the skin of the then-musician Thunder, the extraordinary beings of the Heart Realm, when they go all out, will also tear their own skin, turning their balanced heartbeats into destructive thunder.

This then causes a resonance, annihilating everything within its range.

This is the "heart sound," which in medicine is simply the sound produced by mechanical wave phenomena caused by myocardial contraction, closure of heart valves, and blood hitting the walls of the ventricles and aortas. However, in the realm of mysticism, it is directly linked to the astrologers who govern the heart.

In a sense, this is also the top-down influence of the astrologers within the realm of mystery.

This is the ultimate trump card of those with extraordinary mental abilities. They inscribe their knowledge and mysticism on their skin and weave it into their inner voice, using music to exert influence and release invisible magic. Once their inner voice is detonated, they themselves will be the first to perish.

Despite being the most balanced and stable of the nine principles, signifying protection, it is so terrifying when it erupts; one can only say it is a natural-born human bomb.

It is not surprising that it has become so popular in Islam.

As for this one-handed drum, it was originally an instrument used for rituals. After being combined with the relics extracted from Abdullah, it was not destroyed by the Heart Sound, but instead became a new wonder.

The original healing properties have been erased, replaced by a wide range of slowing and a small range of resonance damage, while also giving the holder a continuous tingling sensation that moves from the arms to the genitals in the groin over time. The longer it goes on, the more unbearable the itching becomes.

The storage method is also quite peculiar. It needs to be tightly wrapped in a cloth soaked in lymph fluid to prevent it from coming into contact with one's skin. Even when using it, gloves must be worn.

Neither of these two rare artifacts were intended to be sold by the deceased. The former could be used by himself; the effects of a first-tier rare artifact were not strong, but the corresponding negative effects were also much milder. As for the latter, it was bought by Xingti and used internally.

—Although the time reversal caused her to lose the currency of the civilized world, the ancient Spindrian coins used in the mysterious world still have stock.

After happily dividing the two wondrous objects of the heart, the group began to wait for Mustafa and the National Liberation Front to negotiate. During the wait, the exiles asked Li Lin how he had countered the musician's invisible magic.

"Sing."

"What?" Xingti looked up upon hearing this, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“I’ll sing a song,” Li Lin began, “The lilies are blooming so beautifully—”

The high-pitched sound pierced through the forehead, causing the glassware on the table to vibrate slightly.

Li Lin knew when to stop, leaving Xing Ti dumbfounded.

The exile, in high spirits after closing a deal, said, "In that case, why don't you two collaborate on a record?"

Li Lin sighed, a touch of sorrow appearing perfectly in his eyes: "I am so handsome, and I possess extraordinary wisdom and unparalleled strength. If I were to be involved in recordings... I would surely arouse the jealousy of others."

Li Lin's remarks became increasingly outrageous.

"As for me, to prevent them from taking action against me out of jealousy, I will definitely strike first and eliminate them completely. But to avoid further bloodshed in the world, I'd better just let it go."

Xingti: "Hahahahahaha."

Someone has gone mad.

They then spent a peaceful ten minutes or so, which was somewhat boring for Li Lin, but extremely agonizing for the others.

290

Mustafa himself had not returned, and the compensation promised by the National Liberation Front had not been delivered. Li Lin gradually became agitated, and his right leg under the table kept shaking.

"Damn it, I can't wait any longer!"

Li Lin slammed his hand on the table and stood up, startling Nian, who was dozing in his arms, awake.

He rolled up his sleeves, rubbed his hands together, and held a long spear in his left hand and seven swords in his right, looking as imposing as an old general about to go to war.

"What are you going to do?" The exile looked up from in front of the map. "Don't be impulsive."

She wasn't worried about Li Lin's safety, but rather about the local National Liberation Front, which might be wiped out by Li Lin, that vindictive fellow—which would be extremely detrimental to the exiles' plans to destabilize Algiers.

Li Lin has used numerous infamous examples to vividly demonstrate his ability to cause trouble.

Fortunately, the villa's owner, Mustafa, finally returned, thus averting a potential bloodshed.