The tunnels twisted tighter now. Lin Fei's footsteps echoed with a rhythm not quite his own — like another version of him walked beside him, whispering with every step:
Adapt. Bloom. Overcome.
The Heavenroot System remained silent since the last task, but its interface hovered just beneath his vision. With a single thought, he could bring it forward:
🌿 Bloom Level: 1/9
Trait: Iron Focus – Active
Status: Stable
Next Task: "Bloom Challenge – Trial Battle Required"
"A battle trial…" he murmured.
He didn't need to wait long.
⚔️ The Challenger Appears
The Hollow opened up into a wider chamber — long-abandoned training grounds filled with shattered root effigies and collapsed spar platforms. As Lin Fei stepped forward, his senses flared.
Someone else was here.
A blur of red silk and steel landed on the far platform.
"You've been busy," said the voice. Cold. Controlled.
Wen Hailan. Inner disciple of the Ironbone Pavilion. Fast. Known for spirit-piercing saber strikes. And right now — furious.
"You killed Xu Ren," he spat.
Lin Fei paused. "He was dead before I arrived."
Wen scoffed. "And yet you walk stronger. You radiate his core's trace."
He drew his twin sabers, eyes burning.
"I don't know what you've become, Lin Fei, but I won't let you crawl out of this Hollow as something new."
[BATTLE SCENARIO DETECTED]
[Initiating Combat Protocols]
[Host Status: Iron Focus – Active | Mental Strain Resistance: +10%]
[Opponent: Wen Hailan – Inner Core Stage | Estimated Threat Level: High]
🌿 Battle Begins
Wen Hailan didn't wait.
His sabers spun forward like twin comet tails, aimed straight at Lin Fei's throat.
Clang!
Lin Fei's spiritual qi surged through his veins. He barely raised a root-reinforced guard in time — a shimmering shield forming from instinct and the system's micro-guidance.
[Root Pulse: Temporary Surge — Enemy Qi Flow Detected]
[Counter-Path Recommendation: 12° Lower Left Step – Trigger Evasive Pulse]
He moved without thought. Slipped. Pivoted. Struck.
His palm hit Wen's chest — just hard enough to unbalance him. No serious harm yet. Just data. Just reading.
But Wen Hailan wasn't playing.
His sabers flared with bloodlight.
"You are using something," he growled. "A technique not from this world…"
Lin Fei felt a cold shiver.
[Warning: Opponent's technique approaching soul-pressure threshold]
[Cognitive Resilience: Engaged]
[Iron Focus Trait: Stabilizing]
This was it. His first real test.
🧠 System Sync In Combat
In the blur of movement, Lin Fei saw data.
Every blade arc. Every pulse of Wen's unstable qi. Each weakness flickered as ghostly red lines across the man's defense posture.
[Spirit Point Fluctuation – Right Shoulder, 13% Delay Detected]
[Exploit Opportunity: "Vein Strike" Available]
[Execute?]
He gritted his teeth and nodded.
Lin Fei spun beneath the saber sweep — and drove his palm straight into Wen's weak spot.
Qi ruptured. Wen cried out. Staggered back.
"WHAT is this?!" he screamed.
Lin Fei's eyes glowed faint gold for a moment.
"I don't know what I am yet," he said. "But I won't be broken."
🔥 Turning the Tide
Wen leapt into the air, sabers whirling like a cyclone.
[Final Technique Detected: Crimson Bone Divide]
[Fatality Risk: 63%]
[Triggering Defensive Root Vein Adaptation]
Golden roots burst from Lin Fei's arms, forming a half-dome of qi around him.
The sabers struck — once, twice, thrice — but didn't break through.
Lin Fei used the moment to gather his energy.
[Qi Regeneration Boost: Sap Stamina Temporarily Unlocked]
[+5% Recovery – 10 Seconds]
As the dome shattered, he moved forward like a blade.
Not dodging.
Not blocking.
Attacking.
💥 Clash and Victory
Wen's sabers came again — but this time Lin Fei ducked beneath, grabbed his wrists, and slammed his forehead into Wen's face.
Bone cracked.
Blood spilled.
Then he swept the legs and pinned him.
Wen coughed, dazed.
[Victory Registered]
[Initiate Root Absorption?]
[Target: Unconscious – Core Active | Penalty if Refused: None]
Lin Fei hesitated.
He could take Wen's core. The system would grow stronger. His Bloom Level would rise.
But Wen had fought with pride.
He had been an enemy, yes — but not a monster.
"No," Lin Fei said.
[Assimilation Refused – Path Stabilized]
[Cognitive Integrity +2%]
[Bloom Challenge Complete – Level Increased]
[New Trait Available: "Adaptive Veins – Rank F"]
He stood, chest heaving.
He had won — and not lost himself.
Yet.
🌳 After the Storm
Wen Hailan lay groaning in the rubble. He would live.
Lin Fei looked at his hands.
The golden roots were fading, retreating under his skin.
The system pulsed softly in his mind.
[Bloom Level: 2/9]
Traits:
Iron Focus (Active)
Adaptive Veins (New): Slight qi redirection during impact
Next Unlock: "Root Bind – Rank E" at Level 3
[Next Mission: Optional Trial Encounter – Choose a Side]
A branching map appeared.
Two options lit up:
🩸 Track the Corrupted Acolyte – Receive forbidden knowledge, unstable power.
🌿 Defend the Root-Sworn – Gain defensive cultivation technique, community access.
Lin Fei stared at the screen.
He had no master.
No sect left that he could trust.
Only the system… and himself.
"I'll decide," he said quietly, walking toward the rising light.
"Not you."
But the system only pulsed once.
[Acknowledged.]