"Tap... tap... tap..."
The footsteps were like the beat of the Grim Reaper's drum, pounding against Lin Chen's taut nerves.
He had just survived a heart-stopping counterattack, and the Karma Fire Burning Chain had consumed a tremendous amount of energy.
The energy of the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi within him was powerful, but it was far from inexhaustible.
Now, with an unknown enemy approaching, there was no room for the slightest hesitation!
Lin Chen's eyes instantly sharpened, like a falcon locking onto its prey.
He made no attempt to flee or hide:
The cellar was wide open, and the footsteps were already close at hand.
Any unnecessary movement could expose his weakness!
His only reliance was the projection of two incomplete yet supreme treasures from Ancestor Styx's inheritance, both imbued with an ultimate will to kill—Yuantu and Abi!
He sank his thoughts deep into his dantian, reaching out to the two ancient sword phantoms floating there, faintly glowing with blood-red light and gray-white deathly energy.
A bone-chilling killing intent, born from his soul, instantly flooded his entire body.
Lin Chen poured the little Dou Qi he had just recovered into the two sword shadows without holding anything back, like a floodgate bursting open!
"Vmmm... vmmm..."
Inside his dantian, the Yuantu Sword Shadow blazed with blood-red light. It was as if the sword's surface bore the phantom wails of countless beings bleeding to death.
The Abi Sword Shadow, meanwhile, surged with gray-white energy, emanating a chilling death intent that could end all things and extinguish the cycle of reincarnation!
Two utterly different yet kindred forces brewed within Lin Chen's young body, poised to strike!
His face turned as pale as paper, and his body trembled slightly.
It was a sign that his power was being drained too severely.
He was betting everything on a single killing blow!
The light at the cellar entrance was completely blocked.
A figure appeared at the bottom of the stone steps.
The newcomer was neither the burly brute nor the sinister figure he had expected.
It was a woman.
She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in a well-tailored, dark red outfit that accentuated her graceful figure.
She had delicate features, willow-leaf brows, almond-shaped eyes, and thin lips painted a vivid red.
She carried a bamboo basket covered with black cloth, her steps light. Her manner held a trace of languor and an arrogance that was difficult to notice.
But the moment her appraising gaze swept across the cellar, her languor froze!
Her eyes first fell on the two glaring piles of gray-white ash on the ground, and the tattered clothes scattered beside them, belonging to the Jalie brothers.
Then she saw the open, empty cage.
And... Lin Chen standing in the middle of the cellar, soaked through and dressed in rags, with marks from severed iron chains still on his wrists and ankles.
He was staring at her with eyes so cold they seemed unlike a child's!
"Brother Lang? Brother Bei?! Wh-what happened here?!"
The color drained from the woman's face. Her red lips parted as she cried out in disbelief.
Her gaze darted between the ashes and Lin Chen.
Shock, suspicion, and a trace of fear crept across her face.
She clearly knew the Jalie brothers, and they were on close terms!
She hadn't wandered in by accident. She was one of their accomplices!
Now!
Alarm bells rang in Lin Chen's mind!
The shock in her eyes lasted only an instant before it gave way to intense killing intent and scrutiny!
She knew the dead men, had appeared in this hidden lair of evil cultivators, and was carrying a basket...
The answer was obvious!
Whoever she was, whether she had come to deliver "materials" or inspect the "results," she was an enemy!
He couldn't give her a chance to react or call for help!
"Go!"
Lin Chen's mind barked the command, his will shooting forth like an arrow from a drawn bow!
Clang! Clang!
Two sword cries, as if from the depths of Nine Nether, tore through the cellar's stillness!
They weren't physical swords, but two energy sword shadows condensed to the utmost, one red and one gray, surging from Lin Chen's palms!
They shot forth!
The Yuantu Sword Shadow was blood-red, dragging a long tail of crimson light.
Where it passed, the air seemed frozen by an invisible killing intent. Phantoms of a blood sea roiled, and wronged spirits wailed in anguish!
The Abi Sword Shadow was gray-white and deathly still, moving without a sound.
Yet it radiated an aura of extinction that could end all life. The light seemed to be swallowed wherever it went, and space warped faintly along its path!
Fast! Too fast!
Faster than sound!
Faster than thought!
The shock on the red-clad woman's face had not yet fully turned to terror.
The two sword shadows, embodying the primal laws of slaughter and finality, pierced her body in an instant, as though space itself meant nothing!
"Pfft! Pfft!"
There was no earth-shaking explosion, only two muffled sounds of sharp weapons piercing flesh.
The Yuantu Sword Shadow pierced her heart, leaving a hole the size of a bowl, its edges charred as if scorched by Karma Fire!
The Abi Sword Shadow pierced her brow, leaving a hole about the size of a finger, as though it had drained all life from the surrounding area!
The woman's body jerked rigid. Her beautiful face was frozen in utter shock and bewilderment, with a trace of lingering fear of death.
The bamboo basket in her hand clattered to the ground, and the black cloth fell away.
Inside were several medicinal herbs radiating a chilling aura, along with a number of bottles and jars.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but only a mouthful of filthy blood mixed with shredded organs welled out.
The light in her eyes quickly dimmed and disappeared.
She didn't even manage to scream before her body slumped to the ground, as if every bone had been pulled from it.
Her breath ceased. She died on the spot!
Lin Chen could clearly sense that the woman's cultivation was only at the Four-Star Dou Zhe level.
Yet she was even more troublesome than the Jalie brothers. If the twin sword projections hadn't caught her off guard, the outcome would have been uncertain.
One strike, one kill!
"Hah... hah..."
Lin Chen's legs gave way, and he could no longer hold himself up. He dropped heavily to one knee.
He gasped for breath as cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
His body was utterly drained. The Dou Qi he had just recovered, along with most of the energy he had gained from counterattacking Jalie Lang, had been completely sucked away the moment he activated the twin sword projections!
Waves of dizziness crashed over him like the tide, and his vision repeatedly went dark.
The power of the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords was earth-shattering, but the cost was just as terrifying!
Trying to wield them by force with his Ninth Stage of Dou Qi cultivation was like an ant trying to shake a tree. He had been drained in an instant.
He couldn't stop!
The danger had not yet passed!
Suppressing the weakness that nearly made him faint, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Lin Chen's eyes.
He struggled to his feet and staggered over to the red-clad woman's corpse.
Looking at her lovely face, now devoid of life, he felt no pity.
Anyone who appeared here and kept company with the Jalie brothers had likely stained her hands with the blood of countless innocent children.
She deserved to die!
Without hesitation, Lin Chen reached out!
He pressed down hard on the charred edge of the hole in the woman's heart!
At the same time, he circulated the basic chapter of the Blood Scripture with all his might!
"Refine!"
He issued the command with an icy thought.
A devouring force, even weaker than the one that had rebounded against Jalie Lang before, yet purer and more overbearing, erupted from Lin Chen's palm!
Though the red-clad woman was dead, she had been a Four-Star Dou Zhe. The life essence within her and the Dou Qi that had not yet fully dispersed were still immense!
Drawn by the Blood Scripture's supreme laws, the ownerless energy flowed into Lin Chen's depleted body like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
This time, the devouring was much smoother than when he had drained Jalie Lang.
The woman was dead and offered no resistance.
The Blood Scripture efficiently stripped away the impurities!
Only the purest life essence and energy remained.
His empty meridians were like parched earth blessed by rain, greedily absorbing this power.
His dried-up dantian filled once more, and the energy surged toward an invisible barrier at an astonishing rate!
The barrier at the peak of the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi was already trembling under the infusion of this pure energy.
The chance to break through was right within reach!
But at that moment, Lin Chen abruptly reined in his aura and forcibly suppressed the urge to break through.
This was no place to advance. Danger lurked everywhere, and he had to leave at once.
Besides, a rushed breakthrough would leave his foundation unstable. It was better to find a safe place, calm himself, and then advance; that way, he would get twice the result with half the effort.
The Blood Scripture's domineering nature was on full display.
He forcibly stabilized his cultivation at the limit of the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi, compressing and refining the excess energy.
He stored it deep in his dantian, to unleash it fully when he broke through later.
Feeling the powerful energy surging through him, far greater than before, a glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.
He didn't dwell for long on the joy of an imminent breakthrough.
This place was no longer safe!
He quickly got up and looked over the children, who were still unconscious in the cellar.
Save them? He wanted to, but was powerless.
He could barely protect himself right now. There was no way he could leave unnoticed while carrying a group of unconscious children.
The risk of exposure was too high.
Besides, there was still a traitor inside the Xiao Clan: Xiao Bao!
That man had to die!
"I'll avenge you."
Lin Chen spoke softly to the unconscious children, then made up his mind.
He turned and hurried toward the stone steps leading out of the cellar.
He needed to get out as quickly as possible and deal with Xiao Bao, this hidden threat.
Otherwise, if Xiao Bao grew wary and fled, it would be difficult to avenge them later.
He followed the narrow, damp stone steps upward and pushed open the heavy concealed door.
Lin Chen slipped outside.
Beyond it was an ordinary woodshed, piled with scattered firewood and farming tools.
When he opened the woodshed door, he saw a small, somewhat run-down courtyard.
Its walls were high and weeds grew everywhere. It was clearly located in the outer city of Wutan City, in a particularly remote spot.
The area around him was silent.
Without pausing, Lin Chen vaulted over the courtyard wall like a ghost.
He quickly disappeared into the dim, winding alleys of the outer city.
He didn't immediately return to the Xiao Clan Nursery in the inner city.
Going back now?
Far too risky!
First, although he had reached the limit of the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi, he had just been through a fierce battle.
His strength had not yet fully stabilized.
Second, Xiao Bao was a captain of the guards and held some standing and connections within the Xiao Clan.
If a five-year-old child suddenly disappeared, then suddenly reappeared, covered in blood and possessing a cultivation far beyond his peers, how could he explain it?
It was bound to arouse suspicion and questioning from the Xiao Clan's elders.
If they investigated him thoroughly, the risk of exposing his secrets would be extremely high.
Third, and most importantly, he would be tipping Xiao Bao off!
If Xiao Bao learned that the Jalie brothers and the red-clad woman were dead, while his "target" had returned alive, what would he do first?
He would run!
With Xiao Bao's Dou Master strength and his determination to flee, Lin Chen might not be able to stop him right now.
If he escaped, the consequences would be endless!
"Xiao Bao... has to die!!"
A cold gleam flashed in Lin Chen's eyes as he quickly made his decision.
For the time being, he couldn't return to the Xiao Clan.
He needed to find an absolutely safe place to thoroughly stabilize his cultivation, become familiar with his surging power, and complete his breakthrough.
At the same time... he would wait for the right moment to strike Xiao Bao a fatal blow!
He wound his way through the chaotic, impoverished outer districts of Wutan City, avoiding any possible lookouts.
He relied on the caution he had cultivated in his previous life and the extraordinary perception granted by the Blood Scripture.
At last, in a barren mountain near the outskirts, he found the entrance to an extremely well-hidden side cave.
The entrance was concealed by fallen rocks and dense vines. The interior was small, but dry and sheltered from the wind.
It also lay deep within the mountain, making it difficult to detect.
"This is the place."
Lin Chen cleared a spot and sat down cross-legged.
At last, he had time to quiet his mind and carefully review his current state and the path ahead.
He was also ready to complete the final step of his breakthrough.
Cultivation realm: peak of the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi.
The Blood Scripture had forged his foundation to be incomparably solid, far surpassing that of others at the same level.
His Dou Qi was of exceptionally high quality. It was pure blood red, condensed and domineering, and contained potent vitality and predatory properties.
Lin Chen felt that his blood-red Dou Qi, at the peak of the Ninth Stage, was probably enough to crush ordinary Dou Zhe in both quality and power!
It was as if he had cultivated a technique while still at the Dou Qi stage—and one that was an extraordinary technique far beyond Heaven Grade!
Though the Blood Scripture originated in the Primordial era, it seemed exceptionally adaptable.
After arriving in this world, it had automatically adjusted the way it converted energy. What it cultivated was no longer magic power, but Dou Qi suited to this world's laws!
Yet its essence and rank far surpassed those of any technique in this world.
Moreover, two inherited treasures lay within him:
The twin swords Yuantu and Abi:
Supreme treasures of the Killing Path, representing slaughter and annihilation.
Their current state was extremely damaged. Only a trace of their original essence remained, dwelling deep within Lin Chen's Pill Spirit soul.
Their power was less than one ten-trillionth of what it had been at its peak, and using them came at a tremendous cost.
There was only one way to repair them: slaughter!
They must be watered with the blood of enemies and nourished by the resentment of the dead!
The greater the slaughter and the stronger the enemies, the faster they would be restored.
The information the twin swords conveyed was cold and direct:
If you wish to wield the power of slaughter, first offer slaughter as a sacrifice!
The Twelfth-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus:
A supreme treasure that combined offense and defense, capable of burning away karmic burdens and sins.
It, too, was in an extremely damaged state, with only a faint shadow of its original essence remaining.
It could release Red Lotus Karma Fire that burned all things, but using it came at a similarly terrifying cost.
In short, the two supreme treasures held the highest rank and boundless potential, but the path to restoring them...
Was destined to be a path of slaughter, paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, beneath a heaven ablaze with karmic fire!
They complemented the Blood Scripture, together forming the core foundation of Lin Chen's path to proving the Dao through slaughter.
The Blood Scripture also came with two supreme divine abilities!
The Scripture itself was the core cultivation technique:
It efficiently devoured and refined the vital essence and soul energy of all living beings, turning them into pure Blood Origin Dou Qi to temper the body and forge an unparalleled foundation.
The other two divine abilities:
Boundless Blood Sea:
A great divine ability. In its ultimate form, the user could transform into an endless sea of blood. As long as the sea of blood did not dry up, the true body would not perish.
To cultivate it, one first needed an immense foundation of vital essence and soul energy.
Blood God Child:
A mysterious divine ability that could divide one's vital essence and refine it into Blood God Child clones—undying, capable of existing independently or inhabiting another being.
As long as even one clone survived, the user could be reborn!
technique and divine abilities all pointed toward one central principle:
Plunder and slaughter!
This was the source of power and the means of restoring the supreme treasures.
The path ahead was crystal clear—and utterly cruel.
Once he had finished reviewing everything, Lin Chen's mind was clear, and his doubts were gone.
"Power... I need even greater power!"
A flash of blood-red light flickered in his eyes.
"Xiao Bao was only the beginning!"
"The Jialie Clan... everyone involved in murdering my parents and harming innocent people... not one of them will escape!"
"The urgent task is to break through to Dou Zhe and fully control my new power."
"Then... hunt down Xiao Bao!"
He drew a deep breath, banishing all distracting thoughts.
The basic chapter of the Blood Scripture began to circulate slowly. In his dantian, the blood-red Dou Qi Vortex, compressed to its absolute limit, began pounding against the final barrier.
The energy he had been accumulating for so long erupted with a roar, surging toward the Dou Zhe realm.
At the same time, he silently sensed the two ancient sword phantoms, their killing intent held in check, and the faint glow of the red lotus deep within his dantian.
Deep in the barren mountain, all fell into absolute silence.
Only within Lin Chen did the blood-red Dou Qi, a sign of rebirth and slaughter, flow and grow in silence.
It was completing its transformation from Dou Qi to Dou Zhe.
A five-year-old Dou Zhe, bearing an inheritance from the Primordial Killing Path.
In a remote corner of the Dou Qi Continent, he lay quietly in wait!
Before you continue