The spirit core in Jiang Xuan’s palm blazed like a miniature sun, its fierce energy searing his skin with savage intensity.

The crimson glow bathed his face in eerie, shifting light, casting ghostly shadows across his sharp, sweat-drenched features. 

Threads of raw, untamed energy pulsed from the core like living flames, slithering into his body and igniting every nerve with unbearable heat.

His chest heaved, breath ragged and uneven.

Every muscle tensed as if resisting the flood of power surging through him , a force too great for his body to contain.

Deep within, the ancient force that dwelled inside stirred violently , awakening from its slumber, stretching its claws, craving more .

[System prompt: Spirit Beast Core absorbed. Bloodline Progression: 78%.]

The phantom beast deep within his consciousness howled in ecstatic hunger.

Its massive, monstrous form grew ever clearer , towering fangs dripping with liquid shadow, claws like jagged obsidian, and an endless crimson maw that seemed to devour the very essence of light itself.

Jiang Xuan gritted his teeth as wild, untamed energy surged through his meridians like a raging tempest, battering relentlessly against his fragile spiritual channels , like waves crashing against a crumbling dam on the verge of collapse.

His bones cracked under the unbearable strain, each snap echoing like thunder within his body.

Veins bulged unnaturally beneath his skin, writhing like serpents caught in agony, swollen and pulsing with unstable energy.

His flesh flushed a deep, unnatural crimson, glowing faintly with raw, volatile power that threatened to tear him apart from within.

The pain was excruciating , beyond imagination, beyond endurance.

And yet…

Good.

Pain meant change.

Pain meant evolution.

Pain meant progress .

A single, violent pulse of dark, ancient power erupted from his core , a shockwave of force that tore through the air like thunder.

The surrounding mist scattered violently, clearing a space several meters around him in an instant.

The nearby trees shuddered , their leaves trembling as if recoiling from something they could not see but instinctively feared.

Somewhere deep within Mistveil Grove , a long-dormant formation stirred for the first time in centuries.

Ancient runes flickered to life in the darkness, glowing faintly like embers rekindled after ages of silence.

Something — distant, unseen, yet aware , was watching.

Jiang Xuan clenched his fist, the sound of grinding bone and surging energy echoing from within.

He could feel it , his body stronger, his bloodline purer, his spiritual power no longer weak or broken.

This was only the beginning.

A mere taste of what was to come.

But not yet.

If he revealed too much now, the sect would see him as a threat , and crush him before he could rise .

“Not yet,” he murmured, voice low and steady, carrying the weight of restraint and resolve.

He wiped away the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his fingers slick with sweat and iron. With careful precision, he slipped the remaining fragments of the beast core into his pouch. His gaze swept across the mist-laden grove , sharp, watchful, never lingering.

The night air was frigid, thick with the mingled scents of spilled blood and damp, rotting earth.

Good.

No witnesses.

No weakness shown.

[System prompt: Hidden Bloodline Resonance detected. Trace fluctuations emanating from Mistveil Grove’s core.]

Jiang Xuan’s eyes narrowed , cold, calculating, alert.

A secret.

Another opportunity buried beneath layers of time and silence.

But first…

There were debts to be repaid.

He turned back toward the distant silhouette of the sect, the wind curling around him like a whisper of fate.

A slow, chilling grin spread across his lips , cruel, patient, inevitable.

Soon.