Just as Zhao Zhenjie's hand was about to touch the talisman, a flash of white light streaked across his vision. The moment the light disappeared, the Mortal Cannon before him vanished as well.
"Is this… the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat?" Elder Dongfeng stood frozen, completely dumbfounded. He had never anticipated such a dramatic turn of events, especially when the outcome seemed all but sealed. However, what shocked him even more was the speed of the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat. Though it was only at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, its speed was so fast that even he could barely keep up.
"Sabin, well done." A smile slowly spread across Lin Tian's face as he looked at the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat. Its speed, while swift, was not enough to catch the attention of a Foundation Establishment expert. What Sabin had just used was his bloodline-enhanced talent, which could temporarily increase his speed to the limit. But the effect was short-lived, akin to a teleportation in a brief span.
Though Lin Tian had not brought Sabin to the arena, his spirit beast had been silently observing from the sidelines. When the Mortal Cannon faced the crisis, Sabin had been ready to intervene. He had known that even if he retrieved the Mortal Cannon, the fervent disciples surrounding it would make it difficult for Lin Tian to keep hold of it. So, Sabin had waited for the right opportunity—an opportunity that came when Zhao Zhenjie had approached. As soon as the Spirit-locking Talisman fell, Sabin had acted swiftly, bringing the Mortal Cannon to Lin Tian. Once Lin Tian pressed the talisman, the weapon would recognize him as its master, and no one would be able to steal it.
However, things did not go as smoothly as anticipated. When Lin Tian reached out to press the talisman, he was shocked to find that the symbol on the Mortal Cannon had vanished without a trace.
"What is going on?" Lin Tian stood frozen in disbelief. He could not fathom how the Mortal Cannon had recognized a master when no one had touched the talisman.
"What is happening?" Even the elders, including Dongfeng and Nanyin, were left dumbfounded. Normally, the talisman would not disappear unless someone had touched it. But now, it had vanished, meaning the Mortal Cannon had already acknowledged a master.
But before this, Zhao Zhenjie had not even had time to touch the Mortal Cannon before Sabin had snatched it away. And once Sabin had delivered it to Lin Tian, there had been no further interaction. Yet somehow, the Mortal Cannon had inexplicably recognized its master. The most perplexing part was that Lin Tian had no idea who that master was.
"Lin Tian, if you truly wish to find out who the master of the Mortal Cannon is, I can help you." At this point, Elder Nanyin stepped forward and spoke.
The process of a spiritual tool recognizing its master establishes a spiritual connection between them. Even if the tool and its master are far apart, that connection remains, like an invisible thread linking them. There is a method within Qi Peak that can detect this spiritual bond, allowing one to trace the connection to the tool's owner.
"I would be honored if Elder Nanyin could assist me," Lin Tian said respectfully as he handed over the Mortal Cannon. Clearly, he was eager to discover the true master of the weapon.
Taking the Mortal Cannon, Elder Nanyin placed her hand upon it. A series of light halos began to radiate from the cannon, and soon, a golden thread slowly appeared, drifting toward the sky.
As the golden thread floated toward the outer sect disciples, their eyes lit up with anticipation. They all wondered who had the good fortune to form a spiritual connection with such a powerful weapon.
The golden thread, however, soon veered toward Lin Tian, drawing a collective sigh of disappointment from the crowd. Clearly, they had hoped that someone else might be the one to claim the Mortal Cannon, but it seemed that Lin Tian was its master after all.
Yet, just as the golden thread approached Lin Tian, it brushed past him and wrapped around the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat at his side. The little cat, startled as it licked its fur, jumped in surprise. The sight left the onlookers speechless. After all their efforts to claim the Mortal Cannon, they had never imagined that a cat would become its master. This turn of events was beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
"I can't believe it. Lin Tian, you've let a cat become the master of the Mortal Cannon?" Zhao Zhenjie, though initially disappointed that he hadn't established a connection with the Mortal Cannon, couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Lin Tian, who had painstakingly crafted the weapon, had unintentionally let his spirit beast claim it.
While Lin Tian was undeniably intelligent, compared to human cultivators, the Three-Tailed Spirit Cat still lacked the ability to wield spiritual tools. Despite the cat's substantial growth since becoming Lin Tian's companion, its small size made it ill-suited for operating such a large weapon. Even carrying the Mortal Cannon was a challenge, let alone using it.
"Sabin, what have you done?" Lin Tian was now thoroughly frustrated. He had spent three days designing the Mortal Cannon, only for it to end up as Sabin's possession.