The deeper they ventured into the heart of the trial grounds, the more unnatural the terrain became. Twisted stone arches jutted from the ground like broken ribs, and crimson mists clung to the underbrush. The sky above flickered between shades of pale gold and violet — not day, not night, but some arcane twilight.
Lin Chen moved silently, senses spread wide. Qin Yuyan followed a few paces behind, her robe now slightly torn at the hem, revealing flashes of pale ankle. Despite the rough conditions, she remained composed — a mature beauty seasoned by experience.
As they stepped into a clearing, Lin Chen's system pinged.
Environmental Anomaly Detected
Hidden Spirit Spring: Formed by convergence of Ley Lines
Effect: Accelerated Recovery, Cultivation Amplification, Qi Stabilization
Danger Level: Moderate — Possible guardian presence
"Jackpot," Lin Chen murmured, eyes narrowing at the shimmering pool nestled between black rocks. It glowed with an ethereal blue light, steam rising in lazy spirals.
Qin Yuyan stepped forward, surprise flickering across her face. "A spirit spring in this condition… This shouldn't exist here."
"Well," Lin Chen smirked, "the heavens must be feeling generous."
He moved first, checking the surroundings for signs of ambush. But nothing leapt from the trees — no beast, no spirit trap. Just a heavy, spiritual silence.
"This would be the perfect place to cultivate," she said. "Especially for you. Your qi is unstable after the last fight."
He raised an eyebrow. "You're suggesting we rest here together?"
Qin Yuyan turned away, arms crossed. "You need it more than I do. I'll keep watch."
Lin Chen didn't argue. He settled near the spring, slowly drawing in its vaporous energy. It was incredibly pure — cleaner than any spiritual mist he had ever encountered. His breathing deepened as the Heavenly Merging Cauldron Technique spun into motion.
With each inhale, fire and yin energy spun within his dantian in perfect synchronization. Sparks danced along his meridians, healing internal injuries and strengthening his flesh.
Progress: Qi Condensation, Layer 4 → Layer 5
Dual Sovereign Compatibility Synchronization: 9%
A soft rustle.
He cracked an eye open and nearly choked.
Qin Yuyan was dipping her feet into the spring, robes pulled up to her knees, sleeves rolled to her elbows. Her long black hair was tied up in a loose bun. In this rare moment of calm, she looked not like an aloof alchemist, but like a woman far younger and freer.
"You really aren't shy, are you?" he teased.
"I'm practical," she said. "The qi here is too good to waste. I'm just not doing anything foolish like stripping."
Lin Chen grinned. "I wasn't hoping… just imagining."
She didn't smile this time, but she also didn't reprimand him.
Instead, she asked softly, "You've been unusually calm. Even after fighting that mutated tiger. Who are you, really?"
Lin Chen hesitated.
Should he tell her?
He glanced at his system interface.
Partial Disclosure Recommended — Increases Trust
Option: Share current cultivation path (without revealing system)
"I don't remember everything," he said honestly. "But I know I've walked the path of dual cultivation before. I left something for myself in this place… and I retrieved it."
Qin Yuyan looked thoughtful. "So that's the strange qi. Yin and yang cultivated in tandem... That's forbidden in many sects."
"I'm not most people," he said, voice low. "And I don't follow paths others carve for me."
She turned to him, something unreadable in her gaze.
"You're either incredibly foolish… or incredibly powerful."
"Can't I be both?"
For the first time, she laughed freely.
"I owe you my life," she said after a pause. "And now you've saved me again with this spring. I don't like being in debt."
"You could always repay it the traditional way."
She blinked. "Marriage?"
"I was thinking something simpler. Like dinner. A kiss, maybe. But marriage… well, I'm open to that too."
Qin Yuyan's cheeks colored slightly, though she masked it quickly with a glare. "You're shameless."
"Only with women worth the shame."
She fell silent, but didn't move away.
Then, her voice barely above a whisper, she said, "You know, if I weren't trapped here… and if I weren't nearly twenty years your senior..."
"You're saying there's a chance?" Lin Chen said with a mischievous grin.
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Maybe."
System Notification:
Emotional Bond Deepened — Qin Yuyan
Status: Warming
Dual Compatibility: 86%
Suddenly, a tremor rippled through the ground.
The tranquil water began to churn, and a rumble echoed from the cliffs to the north.
Qin Yuyan stood immediately, drawing a blade from her sleeve — a narrow, shimmering alchemical dagger.
"We're not alone," she said.
From the jagged rocks, three figures emerged. Men in dark robes, insignias obscured, but their qi radiated Foundation Establishment pressure — artificial, unstable.
"Outsiders," Lin Chen growled.
One of them grinned. "You two made quite the noise earlier. Killing our pet, then bathing in our spring?"
"Your spring?" Lin Chen snorted. "Did you piss in it to claim it?"
The masked leader spoke, his voice cold and distant:
"Target confirmed. Lin Chen of Azure Sky Sect. Secondary target: Crimson Lotus Pavilion alchemist. Orders: eliminate both, recover inheritance residue."
Lin Chen stood slowly, his body trembling slightly as the qi in his dantian struggled to stabilize. He gripped his sword.
"We can't fight all three," Madam Qin said, voice tight. "We should run."
"No." Lin Chen's voice was calm, even as sweat rolled down his temple. "If we run now, they'll strike us from the back. We hold… until I break through."
The assassins didn't wait.
They attacked.
The first one blurred forward, his palm wreathed in shadow. Lin Chen parried — barely. His blade rang out, sparks flying as it collided with the assassin's palm. The second assassin followed, conjuring black chains of spiritual qi that lashed toward Madam Qin.
"Heaven's Lotus Flame!" she cried, hurling her alchemical dagger forward. It burst into a raging crimson inferno, severing the chains mid-air.
But they kept coming.
Lin Chen slashed with all his might, his blade infused with the Heavenly Merging Cauldron Technique, amplifying his strikes. His qi surged and twisted into a spiraling crescent of sword light — Boom! — he carved a trench into the earth, staggering one of the attackers.
But the leader stepped forward.
His cultivation surged — a suppressive pressure that bent the very air. He raised a curved saber, its edge dripping with dark crimson mist.
"I'll handle him!" Lin Chen shouted. "Buy me time!"
Qin Yuyan threw herself into the fray, using talismans and explosive pills to delay the other two assassins. The battlefield became a storm of flames, poison mist, and thunderous blasts.
Lin Chen clashed blades with the leader.
Every strike sent shockwaves through his body. His bones creaked. His blood vessels threatened to burst.
The assassin was too strong.
Clang! Clang! Swoosh!
"Not enough…!" Lin Chen hissed, blood spurting from his lip as he blocked a fatal blow with the flat of his sword.
Then, something clicked.
The system flared inside him.
[Combat Protocol Triggered: Overdrive Mode – Risk Level: Lethal]
Lin Chen growled and allowed the system to channel unrefined yin-yang energy directly into his core.
Pain exploded in his dantian. But with it came power.
He leapt high into the air, sword raised.
"Crimson Sky Sundering Slash!"
His blade descended with a roar of thunder, igniting the ground beneath the assassin's feet. The masked man was forced to block, sliding back several steps — the first time he had lost ground.
"Now!" Lin Chen shouted.
Qin Yuyan understood instantly. She activated a high-tier escape talisman, wrapping both of them in golden light. A spatial gate began to form.
But the assassins weren't done.
The leader hurled his saber like a comet, aiming straight at Lin Chen's heart.
Sching!
Lin Chen caught the blade with his bare hand.
Blood sprayed from his palm. The weapon dug into his shoulder, tearing flesh and shattering bone.
The escape gate opened just in time.
Flash!
They vanished.
The spirit spring exploded behind them, consumed in a vortex of darkness.
— — —
They reappeared several miles away in a secluded forest clearing. The moment they materialized, Lin Chen collapsed.
His robes were soaked in blood. His right arm hung useless. His breathing was shallow.
"Lin Chen!" Qin Yuyan cried, rushing to his side.
He grinned through bloodied lips. "Didn't I say… I just needed time?"
"You're a lunatic," she snapped, trying to stabilize his wounds with pills and alchemical threads. Her hands trembled.
As she worked, Lin Chen's eyelids fluttered.
System… Status…
[Host Condition: Severe Injuries – Right Arm Fractured, Qi Channels Damaged, Internal Bleeding]
[Recommendation: Enter Healing Trance for 72 Hours]
But he smiled.
They had survived.
Barely.
And now, the assassins knew he was worth killing.
Which meant he was on the right path.
"…I'll make them regret it," he whispered, slipping into unconsciousness.
Qin Yuyan watched him, the concern in her eyes slowly transforming into something deeper.
"…You idiot," she murmured, brushing a strand of hair from his bloodied face. "Why do I feel like… I owe you more than a debt?"
The forest remained silent, save for the soft wind rustling through the leaves.
The stars above shimmered, as if bearing witness to the birth of something new — something powerful, defiant, and destined to rise again.
[End of Chapter 32]