Chapter 3 – Blood and Shadows
The air grew heavier as the cloaked figures fanned out in a half-circle, cutting off Chen Yue's escape. Their footsteps were eerily silent, and yet, the presence they exuded chilled him to the bone.
Five of them. All armed. All radiating an unsettling, twisted aura that made his skin crawl.
[Hostile Scan: Void Cult Acolytes – Low Rank]
Power Level: Comparable to Mana Users Rank 3-4
Estimated Threat: Moderate (But Lethal in Numbers)
Chen Yue's mind raced. One Ironhide Boar nearly ended me. And now I have five assassins? This world doesn't mess around.
The leader stepped forward, his hood shifting just enough for Chen Yue to catch a glimpse of his mouth—stretched in an unnatural grin. Black veins crept from his lips across his pale skin like cracks in stone.
"The Fragment's scent clings to you," the leader said, voice dripping with hunger. "You've touched something that should have remained forgotten. Hand it over, and we might leave your corpse intact."
Chen Yue tightened his grip on the Qi-Linked Fang Blade, feeling the faint hum of energy within the weapon. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, but fear gave way to something sharper—resolve.
"I don't know what you freaks are talking about," he said, voice low. "But if you think I'm giving you anything, you're insane."
The cultists chuckled, a sound like dry leaves scraping over stone.
"So be it," the leader hissed, raising his dagger. "Tear him apart."
The First Clash
Two acolytes lunged first, their movements fast—too fast for normal humans. Their daggers gleamed with a sickly purple hue, reeking of corruption.
Chen Yue dodged the first strike, instincts screaming. The blade whistled past his throat, close enough to shear a strand of hair. He twisted and parried the second with his Fang Blade, sparks flying as steel clashed.
The force of the impact rattled his arms. These weren't amateurs.
[Stamina: 85% → 78%]
Focus, Yue. You fought a damn boar—these are just people.
The first cultist slashed again. Chen Yue ducked low, sweeping his leg out. The man stumbled, and Chen Yue thrust his blade upward, channeling Qi into the strike.
SHLICK!
The Fang Blade pierced the cultist's chest. A strangled scream tore from his throat as black blood spilled over Chen Yue's hand.
[Enemy Defeated: Void Cult Acolyte]
EXP +120
The corpse hit the ground with a thud, but there was no time to breathe—the second cultist was already on him. Chen Yue barely raised his blade in time to deflect another strike.
A burning line scored across his arm as the dagger grazed him. Pain flared, hot and sharp.
[Minor Injury Detected – Bleed Effect: -2 HP/sec]
"Damn it!" Chen Yue hissed, twisting away.
System Intervention
[Combat Analysis: Host is outnumbered. Recommend activating 'Fragment Authority – Tier 1.']
[Would you like to activate? Y/N]
"Yes!"
The world seemed to still. A golden glyph blazed to life beneath Chen Yue's feet, pulsing like a heartbeat. Power surged through him—pure, unfiltered Qi flooding his veins.
[Fragment Authority Activated: Astral Vein Burst (Duration: 30 seconds)]
[All Attributes +100% | Qi Output x3]
The air vibrated with energy as Chen Yue's aura exploded outward, golden threads crackling around his body like living lightning.
The cultists froze, momentarily stunned.
Chen Yue didn't waste the opening.
He lunged, his Fang Blade carving an arc of golden light. The empowered strike cleaved through the second cultist's guard—and his throat.
Blood sprayed like crimson mist.
He pivoted, spinning into a sweeping slash that severed the third cultist's arm before driving the blade into his gut.
SLASH! STAB!
[Enemies Defeated: +240 EXP]
[EXP: 860/1000]
Two left—the leader and his last remaining follower.
The Corrupted Dagger
The last acolyte screamed and rushed him in a frenzy. Chen Yue sidestepped, driving his knee into the man's gut before slashing his blade across his chest. The cultist collapsed without a sound.
That left the leader.
Unlike the others, he didn't attack immediately. Instead, he raised his dagger and whispered something in a guttural tongue. The air turned foul, shadows twisting like living things.
Chen Yue's system flared warnings:
[Alert: Corruption Surge Detected.]
[Leader Engaging Forbidden Technique: Void Venom Blade.]
The dagger in the leader's hand warped, its edge rippling like liquid shadow. A dark aura oozed from the weapon, eating away at the grass beneath him.
"You shouldn't have resisted," the leader hissed, eyes glowing red. "Your death will be slow."
He vanished.
Chen Yue's eyes widened. Fast!
The cultist reappeared behind him, blade stabbing toward his spine. Chen Yue twisted instinctively, parrying—but the corrupted dagger sheared halfway through his Fang Blade before stopping.
CRACK!
Sparks flew as Chen Yue staggered back. His weapon was intact but humming violently from the clash.
The leader grinned, his movements a blur as he slashed again and again, each strike faster than the last. Chen Yue blocked and dodged desperately, his muscles screaming.
His Fragment Authority timer ticked down:
[Time Remaining: 10… 9… 8…]
"Come on, come on!"
The leader lunged for a killing blow. Chen Yue ducked under the slash and drove his fist—glowing with Qi—into the man's ribs. Bone cracked. The cultist grunted but didn't fall.
Instead, he laughed. "Good… GOOD! Struggle more!"
Chen Yue's fury burned white-hot. He roared, channeling every last shred of amplified Qi into his blade. Golden energy flared so bright it hurt to look at.
"DIE!"
He thrust forward with a two-handed grip. The Fang Blade pierced through the leader's chest, golden light exploding outward like a miniature sun.
The cultist's scream curdled the air as his body disintegrated into ash.
[Enemy Defeated: Void Cult Leader]
[EXP +400]
[Level Up Achieved.]
Breakthrough
Chen Yue collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His entire body shook as the golden aura faded, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.
But then warmth bloomed in his core—stronger, purer than before.
[Cultivation Breakthrough: Qi Refining – Stage 2.]
[Qi Threads: 5 → 8.]
[New Feature Unlocked: Technique Library Expansion.]
Another notification followed:
[Special Drop Acquired: Corrupted Dagger (Void-Tainted). Handle with caution.]
[Fragment Resonance Detected. Unlocking New Technique…]
A scroll of light appeared before his eyes:
Technique Unlocked: Astral Fang Slash
Rank: Earth Tier (Upgradeable)
Description: Channel Qi into the blade to unleash a crescent-shaped slash of astral energy.
Cost: 1 Qi Thread per strike.
Chen Yue stared at the glowing text, a slow smile spreading across his blood-streaked face. "An actual combat technique… finally."
But his relief was short-lived.
As he stood, wiping the sweat from his brow, the ground beneath the cult leader's ashes began to smoke. Dark tendrils of mist rose, coiling upward into the shape of a horned silhouette. Its voice slithered through the clearing like oil:
"So… the Fragment lives. Excellent."
The shadow dissolved into the air, leaving only silence behind.
Chen Yue's blood ran cold.
"What the hell… did I just get myself into?"
He glanced toward the forest's edge, where the faint lights of a distant village flickered.
One thing was certain: this was only the beginning.
He tightened his grip on the Fang Blade, eyes hardening. "Come at me, world. I'm not dying twice."
With that, Chen Yue started toward Moonveil Village, unaware that his name would soon shake kingdoms.
End of Chpter 3.