Chapter 28: The Hei Clan's Alliance
The streets of Dawnriver City bustled, but a darker plot unfolded. In a shadowed alley, Hei Long met a Bloodshade Abyss elder, a gaunt man with a 7th Layer Qi Transformation aura. "The boy's blood arts threaten us," Hei Long growled. "We ally to seize the Scriptures." They dispatched a 6th Layer Qi Transformation team.
Lin Xuan sensed the threat. "Junior Sister, Liu Yang, prepare," he called. He activated Abyssal Lotus Step, intercepting the team. The fight erupted. Lin Xuan dodged a qi blade with Celestial Glide. Crimson Lance Burst pierced the leader's shoulder. The leader retaliated, but Lin Xuan's Vein Fortress Body absorbed the blow. Liu Yue's Icy Skin slowed a disciple's attack. Liu Yang's blood sword cut another's leg, their red lightning rings sparking.
Lin Xuan pressed forward, Starlit Void Fist shattering a disciple's guard, followed by Internal Fracture Wave. The leader unleashed a final qi storm, but Lin Xuan's Abyssal Lotus Step wove through. Crimson Lance Burst embedded spikes in his thigh. The team retreated, and Lin Xuan devoured their qi, breaking to the 4th Layer Qi Transformation. "They'll return," he warned.
That night, he refined a pill, unlocking the basics of the Blood Crystal Core Phase, his heart pulsating with crystal power.