The chamber trembled as the wraith beast lunged, its hundred clawed arms writhing like shadows in a storm.
Each limb dripped with ghostfire — pale-blue flames that devoured spirit rather than flesh.
Yu Xueqing's blade flashed first, a crescent arc of icy light slicing through three spectral limbs. They hissed, recoiled, then regenerated, thicker than before.
But Lin Chen…
Lin Chen's grin widened, savage and fearless.
---
He drew his sword.
It was unadorned. A simple, weathered longsword with nicks along the blade.
But as he gripped it, crimson veins flared along his arms, pulsing in rhythm with his heart.
The forbidden art activated —
Crimson Vein Tempering: 3rd Stage — Blood Furnace Awakening.
---
FWOOOM—
His aura exploded outward, shaking the chamber.
The oppressive weight doubled, but Lin Chen welcomed it, fed on it.
His muscles swelled slightly, his skin flushed with blood heat, and his pupils burned faintly red.
---
"Alright, ugly!" Lin Chen roared, voice laced with battle-lust.
"Let's dance!"
---
The beast screeched, all its limbs lashing at him in a tidal wave.
---
Lin Chen's sword moved.
Fast. Too fast for an outer disciple.
The blade traced a spiral — a cyclone of crimson light that slashed through the first wave of claws.
Clang!
Hisssss!
Spectral flesh evaporated wherever his sword struck, leaving trails of ghostfire in the air.
---
Yu Xueqing's heart clenched as she watched.
"This madman… He's using his own blood essence as fuel to empower his strikes. If he slips once—he'll cripple his foundation permanently."
Yet…
She couldn't look away.
---
Lin Chen laughed as he parried, dodged, and counterattacked. Each strike grew sharper, more brutal.
This was his element. Death fights. High stakes. No rules.
---
The beast shifted tactics — its maw opened, unleashing a howl that shattered stone and sent shockwaves rippling through the ground.
A psychic assault. A soul attack.
Yu Xueqing flinched, blood trickling from her ear.
She stumbled, eyes glazed.
---
But Lin Chen…
Lin Chen snarled.
He bit his own tongue until blood spurted — using pain to anchor his mind.
His sword lifted — and then came down in a two-handed cleave that split the ground beneath him.
---
"BREAK!"
---
BOOOOOOM—!
His sword struck the ground, unleashing a crimson shockwave that collided with the wraith's sonic blast midair.
The forces canceled out in a burst of chaotic energy.
---
The backlash struck Lin Chen square in the chest, sending him flying backward into a stone pillar with a sickening crack.
---
Yu Xueqing regained focus just in time to see Lin Chen cough blood — and then, impossibly, push himself back up with a grin.
---
"Still not enough… Heh… Perfect."
---
His dantian was spinning wildly now.
The gathered qi inside him boiled, agitated by the life-and-death battle.
Lin Chen could feel it — the bottleneck of the 3rd layer Qi Condensation shattering.
---
Inside his core, qi surged like a flood.
His meridians screamed as they expanded, torn and reforged by the sheer pressure.
---
Crack—
Crack—
Invisible chains broke inside him.
---
Breakthrough!
4th Layer Qi Condensation!
---
Lin Chen's aura flared like wildfire, drowning the chamber in blood-colored light.
His sword — once plain — now shimmered faintly, as if resonating with his growth.
---
The wraith beast shrieked in rage, sensing its prey becoming predator.
It lunged again, desperate.
---
But Lin Chen was already moving.
Faster. Stronger.
His muscles burned with new power.
---
His sword drew an arc —
—a perfect crescent slash infused with his fresh cultivation and the fury of his breakthrough.
---
"Die, you oversized smoke demon!"
---
SHHHHRRAAAAK—
The blade cleaved through the beast's core — a pulsing black orb hidden within its chest.
The wraith howled as its form unraveled, limbs dissolving into mist, ghostfire flickering out like dying stars.
---
Yu Xueqing stood frozen as the chamber fell silent.
Only Lin Chen's heavy breathing remained.
---
The beast's remains scattered like ash, and from the debris…
a faint light floated upward.
A jade token. Ancient. Inscribed with a single character:
「Inheritance」
---
Lin Chen staggered forward, swiped the token from the air, and grinned even as blood ran down his chin.
---
"Now that's a proper trial reward."
---
Yu Xueqing exhaled slowly, stepping closer.
Her gaze flickered between the vanishing wraith and Lin Chen's battered but upright figure.
"You… broke through."
---
Lin Chen wiped blood from his mouth and winked at her.
"Yep. Mid-fight breakthroughs — best kind of high."
He winced as pain shot through his ribs.
"…Also the most painful."
---
Yu Xueqing stared at him for a beat longer, then — to Lin Chen's shock — let out a soft, breathy chuckle.
A real laugh, light but genuine.
"You're insane."
---
Lin Chen flashed a bloody grin.
"Hey, Senior Sister — you're not the first woman to tell me that."
---
Her smile faded, replaced by her usual coolness, but her eyes held a new glimmer of warmth.
"…Let's see what legacy you risked your life for."
---
Together, they turned toward the pedestal.
The inheritance scroll still hovered there, untouched.
But now…
The chamber recognized Lin Chen as its master.
The scroll unfolded — golden light spilling forth, illuminating carvings across the dome.
---
Lin Chen's eyes widened as ancient runes seared into his vision.
---
"Bloodforged Sovereign Body Tempering Art…"
---
His pulse raced.
This wasn't just a cultivation technique —
It was a complete body refinement legacy designed for warriors who walked the blood path.
---
Yu Xueqing's lips parted in astonishment.
"That's… a supreme-grade forbidden body art. Extinct since the Age of Star Emperors."
---
Lin Chen's fingers curled into fists, trembling.
His grin returned — wider, more dangerous now.
---
"Looks like my road just got bloodier."
---
To be continued in Chapter 19: Bloodforged Sovereign