The first rays of dawn pierced the ash-colored sky above the Fallen Relic Grounds. Crimson light filtered through the cracked ruins, casting jagged shadows over Jin Zhen's temporary camp.
He was already awake.
Seated cross-legged atop a jagged stone, he cultivated in complete stillness. Crimson mist swirled around him like a silent storm.
Inside his body, a shift was occurring—quiet, vast, and terrifying.
The moment he absorbed the Blood Demon Emperor's fragment the previous night, something ancient and volatile had ignited in his dantian.
Now, Jin Zhen was digesting it all.
—
[System Update]
Hidden Bloodline Potential Awakened
Trait: [Demonic Archive] absorbed successfully
You have gained:
→ [Forbidden Blood Alchemy Lv. 1]
→ [Memory Seal: Vault Coordinates (Inactive)]
→ +800 SP
→ +1 Body Constitution Tier Unlocked
New Constitution: [Crimson Demon Vessel (Low)]
Effect: Physical resilience, blood affinity, and energy absorption significantly increased
[System Notice: Your presence now radiates a subtle demonic aura. Lesser beings may tremble.]
—
Jin Zhen's eyes snapped open.
"So I'm scarier now," he muttered.
"Good."
—
He stood and approached the others. His disciples were already busy: some meditated, others reinforced the puppet guards or cooked basic rations.
Yu Lan, who had taken unofficial command in logistics, waved at him with a bowl of roasted rice in her hand.
"Did you sleep?"
"No."
"Eat?"
He smirked. "I don't need to anymore."
Yu Lan narrowed her eyes. "Creepy."
"I accept that."
—
As the caravan pushed deeper into the ruins, the air thickened.
The remnants of long-forgotten battles lay scattered: broken banners, shattered puppets from centuries ago, and bones that whispered.
Yes—some of the bones actually whispered.
"Master Jin Zhen… save us…"
"Glory… must return…"
Yu Lan raised a brow as a femur beside her began sobbing.
Jin Zhen sighed. "Too dramatic."
He raised a finger. A pulse of crimson energy burst forth, silencing the entire field.
The whispers stopped.
Some disciples clapped.
One of them muttered, "Sect Master really is OP…"
Jin Zhen looked back. "You just noticed?"
—
Eventually, they reached what appeared to be the central sanctum of the ruins.
It was a massive underground gate, half-sunken into molten stone, sealed by black crystal chains.
As they approached, the ground shuddered.
A voice boomed across the relic grounds.
"You have trespassed far enough."
A figure materialized in front of the gate.
It was a tall man in robes blackened with age, wearing a crown of bone and ash. His eyes glowed with infernal light, and he floated inches off the ground.
Elder Hei immediately moved to protect Jin Zhen.
But the sect master raised his hand. "Stand down."
He walked forward.
"You're the guardian?" he asked.
"I am what remains of the Blood Demon's Will," the man replied. "No one passes."
Jin Zhen cracked his neck.
"Do you know how many times I've heard that phrase?"
He waved his hand.
—
[SP -400]
[Activating: Puppet Formation "Titanus Siege Construct – Model: Hellfire"]
—
A massive golden rune appeared behind Jin Zhen.
From the storage ring embedded in his wrist, a storm of metal exploded outward. In seconds, a towering puppet construct formed—twenty meters tall, glowing with crimson lines and molten joints. Its mouth opened like a furnace, spewing heat.
The disciples gasped. Even Yu Lan blinked.
"You didn't show us that one before."
Jin Zhen smirked. "I built it while everyone was sleeping."
The guardian spirit's face twisted. "You dare bring such a thing into the sacred ruins—!"
"Shhh."
Jin Zhen snapped his fingers.
The titan roared.
A wave of hellfire erupted forward, bathing the guardian in raw force.
He screamed as his form began to fracture under the pressure. Spirit chains tried to counter, but the titan punched through them like paper.
Then, Jin Zhen himself moved.
In a flash, he was behind the guardian, pressing a crimson sigil into its back.
"Sleep."
The figure dissolved into smoke.
—
[System Notification]
Guardian Will Neutralized
Gate to Inner Vault Unlocked
SP +1200
Fragmented Soul Detected: Absorbed
Title Gained: [Ruinsbreaker]
→ Enemies from ancient factions may recognize your aura.
You have unlocked: Blood Demon Vault Coordinates
—
The gate began to open, grinding like ancient stone mourning its own death.
A cold wind blew from within.
"Everyone," Jin Zhen said. "Prepare yourselves."
—
Inside the Vault
The air was frozen.
Every inch of the massive chamber screamed forbidden power. Shelves filled with crystal tomes, spirit jade, cursed artifacts, and locked coffins lined the hall.
Yu Lan's eyes widened. "This is… a necromancer's paradise."
Jin Zhen nodded.
"This is a legacy," he said. "And I'll take it all."
He walked forward, brushing his hand along a sealed scroll. It pulsed red.
One of the coffins rattled.
A soft laugh echoed from the ceiling.
"You are not him," a woman's voice said.
"No," Jin Zhen replied. "I'm better."
—
He raised his hand.
[SP -700]
[Activating Subsystem: Blood Vault Integration]
—
A matrix of crimson lines shot out from his palm, spreading through the entire vault.
Shelves shifted. Artifacts shook. A blast of wind tore through the chamber.
Every relic began syncing to Jin Zhen's system interface.
—
[System Notification]
Blood Vault Integrated
Items Secured: 214 Rare Class, 32 Epic Class, 4 Legendary Class
New Resource Gained: [Blood Alchemy Furnace – Inert]
Hidden Creature: Sealed Soul Fox (Corrupted)
Caution: Requires purification
—
Jin Zhen approached a floating cage containing a curled, shadowy fox. Its fur glistened with blood runes.
Yu Lan peered over. "That thing's alive?"
"Barely."
"What are you going to do with it?"
"Make it useful."
—
He tapped the cage.
[SP -300]
[Initiating: Spirit Purification Sequence]
The fox screeched, then collapsed.
Light poured into the cage.
Seconds later, it opened its eyes—now clear and crimson—and stared up at him.
"You… saved me?"
Jin Zhen smiled.
"No. I just fixed a broken tool."
The fox blinked, and then—tail wagging slightly—lowered its head.
"Then let me serve, Master."
—
As the sect members gathered the spoils, Jin Zhen stood at the center of the vault, arms crossed, looking at his reflection in a cracked obsidian mirror.
A new version of himself stared back—darker, stronger, cloaked in power.
And behind him, the ancient vault groaned one final time before falling silent.
—
[System Update]
Status: Crimson Overlord
Realm: Late Core Formation (Extreme Peak)
SP: 4,120
Wealth: 13,800 Spirit Stones + 19 High-Grade Crystals
Constitution: Crimson Demon Vessel (Low-Tier)
Traits:
→ Demonic Archive
→ Ruinsbreaker
→ Vault Sovereign (Passive Buff: +10% Artifact Effectiveness)
Pets: Spirit Fox (Loyal | Clean State)
Puppet Forces:
→ 420 Combat Units
→ 6 Elite Constructs
→ 1 Titanus Siege Construct
—
Jin Zhen smiled to himself.
War was coming.
But now?
He had all the tools he needed.