Chapter 29: The Core's Awakening
The inn room was a haven of focus, its wooden walls etched with faint qi patterns, the air thick with the scent of herbs and the faint ozone of Lin Xuan's recent crafting. The afternoon light filtered through the window, casting golden streaks across the floor where he sat cross-legged, the silver-blue flame dancing before him. His crimson eyes glowed as he mastered the Blood Crystal Core Phase, his heart pulsating with crystal power, a faint red glow seeping through his chest. The Celestial Unity Crest on his back pulsed rhythmically, guiding the process.
He summoned Liu Yue and Liu Yang to the training ground, the ancient trees swaying in the breeze, their leaves rustling. "Today, we refine a Crimson Lance Burst variant," he announced, his voice firm. He demonstrated, his blood crystallizing into jagged spikes that shot forth, piercing a tree trunk with a crack. Liu Yue's raven hair swayed as she adapted, her Icy Skin merging with the art, icy blood spikes forming with a crystalline sheen, the snowflake mark on her palm glowing softly. Liu Yang followed, his blood qi surging, his sword transforming into jagged armor, his young face set with determination. Their arts clashed briefly, a frosty mist rising, but Lin Xuan mediated, their qi syncing into a balanced flow.
As they trained, a Bloodshade-Hei joint probe emerged—two 6th Layer Qi Transformation cultivators, their crimson and black robes blending with the trees, their qi blades crackling with curse-infused energy. "The Scriptures are ours!" one snarled, lunging with a qi storm. Lin Xuan's heart raced, but his training steadied him. Abyssal Lotus Step, his body gliding with mixed martial arts footwork, dodging the storm as trees splintered. Internal Fracture Wave rippled through the air, repelling the attack, the ground cracking. Vein Fortress Body hardened his skin, absorbing a retaliatory strike, the impact a dull thud.
Liu Yue's icy spikes pierced a cultivator's leg, her snowflake mark pulsing, while Liu Yang's jagged armor blocked a qi blade, his sword slashing an arm. Lin Xuan closed in, Starlit Void Fist striking a chest, the celestial punch shattering defenses, followed by Crimson Lance Burst, spikes embedding in a thigh. The probe retreated, their curses fading, and Lin Xuan devoured their qi, nearing the 5th Layer. Liu Yue's mark glowed brighter, hinting at a legacy art, her moonlight eyes meeting his with pride.
That night, he refined a pill, the courtyard a silent witness to his growth, the ache in his chest a bittersweet reminder of their bond.