Chapter eight
A Lesson in Blood and Madness**
Beneath the Demonbone Sect lay the Forgotten Vaults—a labyrinth of stone and shadow, sealed by soul-scripts from a thousand fallen ancestors. Lin Yu followed Mei Lan through spiraling gates of bone and gold, down steps lined with skeletons who had tried and failed.
At the center lay a black altar pulsing with demonic qi.
"This is where I carved my name in pain," Mei Lan said. "And where you will begin."
She drew a sigil in the air—an ancient demonic pattern that rippled with twisted scripture.
"This technique is called *Nine-Heart Shadow Curse*. It replaces your heart with shadow essence. Pain becomes power. The more they hurt you, the stronger you get."
Lin Yu stepped forward without hesitation.
The ritual began.
Every vein in his body turned black as shadow qi flowed into him. His bones cracked, vision blurred, and the altar screamed with long-dead souls—but he did not collapse.
> \[System Update: New Technique Acquired – *Nine-Heart Shadow Curse*]
> \[Wish Enhancement Triggered: Elevating Technique to—*Heaven-Forbidden Rank*]
"He didn't even scream," Mei Lan whispered. "Good. I can work with that."
---
. At the Upper Plane – A Daughter's Realization**
Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Crystal Domain of the Upper Plane, Xue'er knelt in meditation, surrounded by divine scholars and flame-cloaked sentinels.
But her heart was heavy.
The blood awakening had stirred something ancient. Her dreams were filled with a man's voice, unfamiliar and warm. A dragon's call in the void.
"Why do I dream of a man with golden eyes?" she whispered.
Her mentor, a cold and regal woman in white—**Elder Mu Yuelan**—watched from afar.
"She is remembering," she muttered. "No… she must not know."
Inside her jade pendant, a sealed message flickered—a letter from her past self.
One she dared not open.
---
Secrets and Storms**
Back at Demonbone Sect, Elder Mei Lan stood before the Grand Council of Elders.
"You hide behind rules, fearing the return of the *Wishbearer Bloodline*," she snarled. "But he is here. And the heavens will burn forth
Elder Fang spat, "You're insane!"
She smiled wide.
"So is destiny."
---
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. The Name That Shook the Sects**
The air inside the *Searing Moon Pavilion* was thick with tension. All twenty-two elders of the Demonbone Sect—core elders, grandmasters, and even the silent Enforcers of the Bone Seal—sat in tight silence. A single scroll floated in the center of the chamber, sealed with the sigil of the Upper Plane's ruling Celestial Court.
Elder Fang was the first to speak, his voice tight.
"They know his name."
Elder Xian snarled. "How?"
Mei Lan stood in the corner, arms folded, eyes closed.
"Because he's loud. Because he lives. Because a storm cannot hide even in a valley."
The message was clear:
*Subject: Lin Yu, registered outer disciple of Demonbone Sect. Suspected bearer of the Ancestral Wishblood. Previously known as Long Tian, draconic entity from the Middle Plane. Reclaim and return the subject to the Crystal Sky Authority. Reward: 10,000 Spirit Crystals and elevation to Allied Sect Status.*
The room fell into silence.
And then Elder Fang said what many had already thought.
"We should hand him over."
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. The Cost of Loyalty**
Mei Lan's laugh cut through the room like a dagger.Cowards.
"Realists," Fang corrected. "The Upper Plane's eyes are not to be trifled with. If we harbor someone they deem a threat, we all burn."
Mei Lan opened her eyes, and the room darkened.
"You think the heavens will reward you? They'll take him, bleed him dry, and erase our name after."
"We could use the crystals," Elder Mo said. "And… we haven't confirmed he's truly the Wishbearer."
"You want proof?" Mei Lan scoffed. "He has my *Nine-Heart Shadow Curse*. He survived the Vault. He awakened blood not even your scrolls can name."
The room split into factions. Half urged caution, the other half whispered loyalty. And in the middle stood Lin Yu—unaware, training.
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Lin Yu's Ascent and the Assassin's Scroll**
Meanwhile, in the Inner Abyssal Fields, Lin Yu stood waist-deep in lava, his flesh charred, body glowing with cursed energy. He drew sigils midair, molding the *Nine-Heart Shadow Curse* into something fluid, instinctive.
> \[System Alert: Mastery Level – 41%]
> \[Technique: Adaptable in open combat. Stronger in pain-intensive environments.]
He didn't hear the footsteps until the killing intent touched his back.
A figure in a gray mask lunged—sickle arcing for Lin Yu's spine."ASSASSIN." Lin Yu didn't flinch.
He let the blade bite into his shoulder.Pain exploded.
Shadow bloomed.
His hand shot out, gripped the attacker's throat, and squeezed. The masked figure screamed as his bones shattered under cursed force.
"Who sent you?" Lin Yu growled.
But the killer only dissolved into mist—suicide glyph activated.
At his feet, a scroll remained. Blood-marked.
Lin Yu unrolled it.
*"For crimes against the Upper Plane. Kill Lin Yu. Do not return without proof."*
He clenched his fists, eyes burning like twin suns.
"So they remember me."
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The Daughter's Discovery**
High above, in the Crystal Sky Palace, Xue'er walked the edge of the Sky Gardens. Petals fell like snow around her as she held a scroll in her hands—a secret scroll left behind by her mother, Elder Mu Yuelan.
Her hands trembled.
"His name was Long Tian. My father..."
She sat down hard on the cold marble floor, mind racing.
All this time, she'd been told he was a nameless beast. A mount. A tool that died in a battle she wasn't allowed to ask about.
But the scroll said otherwise:
*He saved me. I betrayed him. If you ever awaken your blood, look for the dragon in black. He'll find you before the heavens do.*
Tears welled in her eyes.
"I need to leave," she whispered.
But the skies above her pulsed. She looked up—and saw a sigil seal watching her.
The palace knew.
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Fracture and Fire**
Back at Demonbone, Lin Yu returned to Mei Lan's domain, scroll in hand.
"They're sending assassins," he said.
"Of course," Mei Lan replied calmly. "They're afraid."
"And our own elders…?"
"Half will sell you for a grain of celestial dust. Half are too weak to stand beside you." She sighed, offering him a cup of soulroot wine.
"So what do I do?"
She grinned. "What all demons do. Grow stronger. Kill louder. Make betrayal too expensive."
Lin Yu sat down, body aching.
The system buzzed in his mind.
> \[Wish System Triggered – Conflict Advancement]
> \[You may select one wish:
> (1) Break into Peak Bone Forging Realm
> (2) Gain the Azure Tiger Bloodline (Ancestral variant)
> (3) Unlock a forbidden demonic movement art – *Void Chain Descent*]
He didn't hesitate.
"Give me the movement art."
> \[Confirmed. Skill Acquired – *Void Chain Descent*]
> \[Warning: Technique heavily taxes body and soul. Optimal use: assassination, evasion, void stepping.]
As the art etched into his bones, Lin Yu whispered:"Let them come." "And let them bleed."
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