The deeper Lin Chen ventured into the trial grounds, the darker the skies became.
It wasn't nightfall—at least not naturally.
The clouds overhead twisted unnaturally, as if some malignant force had warped the heavens. The sun's light filtered through a miasma of green mist that rolled like ocean waves across the jagged terrain.
"Ah, great," Lin Chen muttered, stepping over a pile of gnawed beast bones. "It's always the creepy valleys that hide the best treasures… or the nastiest deaths."
He swept his sword from its sheath—still unnamed, despite his many hours of bonding with it.
"I should name you soon," he mused. "You've been drinking blood for a while now… how about Red Tooth?"
The blade vibrated once, almost insulted.
"Hah, picky. Fine. We'll settle on something more poetic after we kill something ugly."
**—
The Bone-Twisted Vale was marked by towering stone pillars shaped like skeletal spines. Strange red moss clung to their sides, and no birds sang overhead. Every few steps, Lin Chen's eyes darted around. He could feel it—an oppressive pressure that made his skin prickle.
Tier 7 Spirit Beast… no, Tier 8.
He crouched low.
There—behind the crooked trees near a dried-up stream bed.
A lizard-like beast the size of a small carriage prowled silently across the clearing. Its jade-black scales shimmered with spiritual energy. Two long, saber-like fangs jutted from its jaw, and three glowing eyes scanned the air.
Venomspike Salamander.
Tier 8 Spirit Beast.
Venomous. Fast. Territorial. Meaner than a starving widow.
"That's going to be annoying."
Still crouched, Lin Chen gathered spiritual energy. This was no time for a reckless charge.
He tossed a small burst talisman to the far right, and with a crackling hiss, it detonated.
The salamander whipped its head in that direction—but Lin Chen was already moving left, a shadow among trees.
He exploded forward with a wind step technique, sword slashing low. The blade struck the beast's side—Clang!—but only scratched the thick scales.
The salamander shrieked and lashed out with its tail, a blur of green and black.
Lin Chen twisted mid-air, flipping over the strike—but the tail grazed his robe, ripping fabric and sending him tumbling across the dirt.
"Gah—smells like old snake socks!"
He rose to one knee, grinning despite the pain. "Come on, you ugly sausage!"
The beast charged, jaws wide, venom dripping.
Lin Chen met it head-on.
Their clash sent a shockwave through the Vale. Sword met claw, fangs snapped inches from his face. The salamander thrashed, smashing trees aside, its toxic breath melting bark and rock alike.
Lin Chen used the terrain, ducking between stone pillars and vines, striking when openings appeared. Each blow was measured. Calculated.
Still, the beast pressed hard.
One mistimed dodge—and its claw slashed across Lin Chen's shoulder.
He grunted, stumbling back, blood staining his sleeve.
"Okay… now I'm mad."
With a sharp breath, he gathered everything into his core—his will, his pain, his spirit essence.
"Wind Severing Cut!"
His sword flashed silver. A high-tier martial technique roared to life, slicing the air with howling wind blades.
The salamander shrieked as one of its legs was torn open.
It lunged blindly—and Lin Chen stepped forward, not back.
One stab. Straight to the throat.
His sword pierced beneath the beast's jaw, and he twisted with a snarl.
The salamander thrashed once. Twice. Then collapsed.
Silence returned to the vale.
Lin Chen fell to one knee, panting. Blood dripped from his wounds, his robes torn, his muscles aching.
But his grin widened.
"Ugly sausage: zero. Handsome genius: one."
He flicked his sword clean, stood slowly, and scanned the area.
His gaze landed on a faint glimmer beyond the rocky outcropping. A faint ripple in the air—like the entrance to a sealed space.
Another inheritance site?
His heart stirred.
Another opportunity? Another battle? Another chance to grow stronger?
Lin Chen chuckled, limping toward the glow.
"And here I was thinking today would be boring."
**—
[End of Chapter 27]**