The battle for the Golden Core Pill had ended, but its aftermath rippled across the entire lower realm like a thunderclap.
News of Lin Feng's victory spread from continent to continent, igniting awe, jealousy, and fear.
"The Eastern Continent… produced a monster."
"He defeated the prodigies of the North, West, and South alone."
"He wields four intents and a dragon bloodline never seen before."
The name Lin Feng was whispered in every tavern, sect, and imperial court. In less than a day, the story had reached the Ouyang Family
---
The Order of Blood
Deep within the cold marble halls of the Ouyang Family's Grand Hall, a dozen elders stood in silence.
A man in black robes sat upon the high seat, his eyes as sharp as blades. This was Ouyang Tian, patriarch of the Ouyang Clan, and a peak Saint Realm expert.
A report lay in his hand, sealed with the sigil of the Assassination Hall.
"He humiliated our family top geniuses," one elder growled. "If we allow him to grow, he'll surpass even our ancestors!"
Ouyang Tian's eyes narrowed. "Lin Feng of the Sword Sovereign Sect… a boy with a Nine-Headed Dragon bloodline and four fused intents."
He tore the report in half. "Unacceptable. Send word to the Assassination Hall. Place him on the High Priority List. Use the Black Tier authorization."
The hall fell silent.
"Black Tier… that's for targets of the highest danger," another elder said cautiously. "Even those destined for the higher realm—"
"I said do it." Ouyang Tian's tone left no room for question. "That boy's existence threatens the order of the continents. Kill him before he ascends."
The decree was issued that night.
---
Far away, deep in the Black forest Mountain Range, Lin Feng sat cross-legged within an ancient cavern glowing faintly with azure light.
The air hummed with energy — the Golden Core Pill floating before him, radiating divine heat.
He looked at it quietly, its golden essence reflecting in his eyes. "The pill of destiny," he murmured. "Let's see if you can push me past the mortal boundary."
He consumed half of the pill in one breath.
Instantly, torrents of energy exploded through his meridians. His bloodline roared, and the image of the Nine-Headed Dragon appeared behind him, coiling around his form protectively.
Inside his dantian, the four intents — Sword, Battle, Slaughter, and Dragon — began to spin wildly, intertwining like storms colliding.
The pain was unbearable.
His veins bulged, his body trembling violently as cracks spread across his skin. But Lin Feng didn't flinch. He clenched his jaw and pressed his palm to the ground, drawing formation lines with his blood.
"Sword of Destiny Manual — Core Fusion Chapter."
Azure light filled the cave.
The four intents spiraled together, forming a radiant sphere at the center of his dantian. It pulsed rhythmically — the embryonic form of a core.
He could hear the faint echo of dragons roaring, blades singing, and armies clashing within his consciousness. The merging of his intents tore apart his mortal limitations, and for the first time, he touched the threshold of the Legend Realm.
Then, with a deep breath, he whispered:
"Fuse — Dragon Core of Destiny!"
BOOM!
A shockwave of spiritual energy erupted from his body, shattering the rocks around him. The ground trembled, and the air rippled as his aura surged to an entirely new height.
The dragon image behind him roared, its nine heads glowing — one by one — before merging into a single colossal dragon wreathed in azure flame.
Lin Feng's eyes opened. They glowed like molten stars.
He had broken through.
---
The cave quaked under his aura. A vast spiritual pressure expanded outward — the birth of his Dragon Domain.
Inside it, mountains bowed, and the very air vibrated with dragon qi.
His sword floated beside him, resonating with the rhythm of his new power.
"Legend Realm," Lin Feng murmured, his voice calm yet filled with awe. "Finally."
He rose to his feet. His movements felt light, effortless — like a god walking through clouds. Around him, every droplet of spiritual energy obeyed his will. He clenched his fist and unleashed a pulse of his domain. The entire cavern shook, and an invisible dragon's roar echoed through the mountains.
Within the Dragon Domain, he could manipulate reality itself — gravity, aura, even perception. It was more than power. It was sovereignty.
He smiled faintly. "With this, even assassins won't find me easy prey."
Then, suddenly—
A sharp, burning pain struck his chest.
Both of the protective talismans hanging around his neck glowed violently — the ones linked to Sun Mei and Fatty.
His heart sank. "No…!"
He immediately extended his spiritual sense through the talismans. Faint images flashed in his mind — burning forests, shattered cliffs, blood on the ground.
And faces.
Assassins. Cloaked. Branded with the sigil of a black scythe.
The Assassination Hall.
---
Lin Feng's expression turned cold. The temperature in the cave dropped sharply, frost spreading across the stone walls.
"They dare touch my people…"
He clenched his sword, and the nine-headed dragon shadow flared behind him, roaring in fury.
Without another word, he vanished. The air where he had stood imploded, leaving only a faint shimmer of azure light.
---
Far to the south, Fatty was panting heavily, his face pale, his robe torn and bloodstained. Dozens of masked figures surrounded him, blades gleaming in the moonlight.
"Your boss can't save you now, boy," one assassin sneered, his voice muffled by his mask.
Fatty spat blood and grinned. "Heh… you don't know my boss."
At the same time, in another valley not far away, Sun Mei was kneeling on one knee, her spiritual energy flickering weakly. Her Ice Exquisite Body glowed faintly as she fought off a group of black-robed killers.
"Damn it," she whispered. "Too many…"
One of the assassins raised his hand. "Orders from above — kill her. She's connected to the target."
Just as his blade descended, the sky split open with a deafening roar.
A dragon's cry echoed through the heavens.
---
A burst of azure light tore through the forest canopy, illuminating the night.
Lin Feng appeared midair, his aura vast and suffocating, his eyes burning with golden fury.
The assassins froze. The sheer force of his Legend Realm cultivation pressed down on them like a mountain.
"Those who harm my people… die."
The ground trembled as he unsheathed his sword.
"Dragon Domain — Ascension!"
A storm of azure flames and dragon qi exploded outward. The assassins were thrown into the air, their bodies shredded by invisible claws of energy.
Fatty and Sun Mei looked up, their eyes wide.
"Boss!"
"Lin Feng!"
Lin Feng landed between them, his cloak fluttering, his sword dripping with the blood of those who dared to threaten his companions.
The last assassin tried to flee — only to find his limbs frozen midair by Lin Feng's domain.
"Tell your masters…" Lin Feng said softly, "the dragon has awakened."
Then he swung his sword.
A single stroke — and silence followed.
---
As the last body fell, the Dragon Domain faded, replaced by the quiet hum of spiritual energy. Lin Feng turned to Fatty and Sun Mei, his expression softening.
"Are you hurt?"
"We'll live," Fatty said weakly. "But boss… those guys, they weren't ordinary."
"I know," Lin Feng replied. His gaze turned toward the horizon, where the night sky was glowing faintly red — a sign of chaos to come.
"Ouyang Family," he murmured. "So it begins."
He looked down at his hands — power pulsed beneath his skin, fierce and alive. "If they want war… then war they'll have."
The Nine-Headed Dragon behind him roared once more, its cry shaking the stars themselves.