A dull ache, a pervasive weakness, was the first sensation Lin Xuan registered. It was a vast improvement from the searing agony that had consumed him, yet it was still a heavy cloak draped over his entire being. His eyelids fluttered, heavy as lead, then slowly, agonizingly, peeled open. Blurred shapes gradually sharpened into the familiar, yet now utterly ruined, stone of his clan's ancestral grounds. He lay in a small, relatively sheltered nook, nestled amongst collapsed debris, a fragile island in a sea of destruction.
His mind was a swirling fog. Memories of the attack, of the brutal extraction of his Root, were fragmented, like shards of a terrifying nightmare he couldn't quite piece together. Yet, beneath the haze, the crushing weight of loss remained, a cold, heavy stone in his chest. And burning beneath it all, a searing, relentless fire of vengeance. It was the only clarity in the chaos of his thoughts.
Then, a voice. Not an external sound, but a clear, logical resonance directly within his mind, devoid of any warmth or inflection.
"Host: Lin Xuan. Consciousness regained. Condition: Stable, but critical. Life force at 2.7% of pre-event baseline. Meridians 78% compromised. Celestial Echo-Core integration: Complete. Immediate action required: Initiate Qi Condensation to prevent systemic collapse."
Lin Xuan's eyes widened, a flicker of shock piercing through his weakness. The voice… it was the artifact. The ancient tablet he had touched. It was inside him. He felt its presence now, a strange, unfamiliar anchor in his spiritual core, subtly comforting yet utterly alien. It was powerful, immense, yet… not entirely him. A subtle friction, an almost imperceptible inefficiency, permeated the spiritual energy that now flowed, however faintly, within him. This was the nature of the Celestial Echo-Core – a powerful reflection, but a reminder of the perfection he had lost, the void where his Celestial Top Rank Root once resided.
"The merge was initiated to preserve your existence. This unit now functions as your primary spiritual conduit. Your original Root was extracted by a Void-Echoed Harbinger lineage Ancient Technique. Your survival requires immediate cultivation to stabilize your life force and repair your ravaged meridians. This unit will guide you. Your goals, including retribution, are contingent on your survival." The voice, the Primordial Genesis Codex, laid out the stark facts with chilling precision.
Vengeance. The word ignited a fresh surge of desperate energy within Lin Xuan. He would survive. He would cultivate. He would make them pay. Gritting his teeth, he forced his trembling limbs into a rudimentary meditation posture, guided by the Codex's precise instructions.
"Circulate Qi through the First Heavenly Meridian. Focus on the Dantian. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat."
The process was agonizing. Every thread of Qi he managed to gather, every agonizing circulation through his damaged meridians, felt like grinding glass. His body screamed in protest, sweat beading on his brow despite the chill of the ruins. But the Codex's instructions were flawless, its guidance absolute. Slowly, painstakingly, a faint, almost imperceptible trickle of Qi began to gather within his Dantian, a fragile, nascent warmth.
"Qi accumulation: 0.01% of baseline. Progress: Adequate. Continue." The Codex's affirmation was simple, logical, yet it spurred Lin Xuan on.
Just as a fragile thread of hope began to form, a low growl echoed from the crumbling archway nearby. Lin Xuan's head snapped up. A creature emerged from the shadows – a Demonic Beast (妖兽, Yāoshòu), larger than any he'd seen in the outer clan lands, its fur matted with dried blood, its eyes glowing with predatory hunger. It was a Blaze-Fang Wolf, but something was wrong. Its usual fiery aura was muted, replaced by a faint, chilling haze that seemed to drain the warmth from the air. Its movements were unnaturally jerky, almost disjointed, its snarling devoid of the usual animalistic cunning, replaced by a mindless, aggressive frenzy.
"Threat detected. Blaze-Fang Wolf, mutated variant. Void Energy signature detected. Low-level corruption. Threat level: High for the current host state. Recommended action: Evasion. If engagement is unavoidable, target pressure points: neck, forelegs. Utilize nascent Qi for basic evasion." The Codex's voice, still emotionless, now held a distinct, almost urgent, analytical edge.
Void Energy? Lin Xuan's blood ran cold. This wasn't just a mutated beast; it was touched by the same insidious power that had destroyed his clan. The Mastermind's reach extended even here, to this desolate place. The realization sent a fresh wave of primal fear, quickly transmuted into a searing, cold fury.
The wolf lunged, a blur of corrupted malice. Lin Xuan, still weak, pushed his body to his limits, guided by the Codex. He dodged, a clumsy roll that sent pain shooting through his ribs, but it was enough. He used the minuscule Qi he had gathered, channeling it to his legs, making his movements slightly faster, slightly more agile than a normal human. The Codex continued to feed him data: "Left flank exposed. Counter with a palm strike to the snout. Focus Qi."
It was a desperate, ugly fight. Lin Xuan avoided the beast's snapping jaws, his own body screaming with every strained movement. He landed clumsy, Qi-infused strikes where the Codex directed, each one sending a jarring tremor through his weakened frame. The wolf roared, its corrupted aura flaring, but the nascent Qi, guided by the Codex, offered just enough resistance to prevent immediate collapse. Finally, with a desperate lunge, Lin Xuan found an opening, driving a shard of broken stone into the beast's exposed throat. The wolf thrashed, its corrupted energy sputtering, then collapsed, its eyes glazing over, the chilling aura slowly dissipating.
Lin Xuan lay panting, his body trembling, his vision blurring once more. He had survived. The encounter solidified his resolve. This isn't just about his clan; it's about a pervasive, insidious evil that tainted even the beasts of the wilderness. His tragedy was connected to a larger, cosmic threat, a chilling realization that deepened his desire for vengeance into something far grander.
"Threat neutralized. Life force stabilized at 2.8%. Meridians 75% compromised. Next cultivation goal: Reach Qi Condensation 1st Stage. Recommended: Locate a secure, Qi-rich environment for sustained cultivation." The Codex's voice is as calm and logical as ever, but for Lin Xuan, its words now carry the weight of a monumental, terrifying, yet ultimately hopeful, path.