The Spiritfang Dagger clashed with the ice sword, unleashing a shower of brilliant sparks and shards of frost. Ji Chen's hand throbbed in pain, his entire arm instantly coated in a layer of frost—the power of the Core Formation realm far surpassed his expectations. But instead of retreating, he advanced. With his left hand, he formed a quick seal, releasing a streak of golden light from his fingertips.
Zhou Wei sneered. Her sword trembled, forming three rotating lotus flowers made of pure ice along its blade. The golden beam was shredded by the spinning ice lotuses and dispersed midair. Like a wraith, she appeared behind Ji Chen in a flash, thrusting her palm toward his back!
Bang!
The blow sent Ji Chen staggering forward, shards of ice forming across his torn shirt. Blood welled up at the corner of his lips. Gritting his teeth, he rolled to the side, drew three talismans from his storage ring, and flung them out.
"Explode!"
The three Voidguard Talismans ignited at once, forming a golden barrier that blocked Zhou Wei's pursuit. Ji Chen seized the opportunity and activated his Spirit Sight. A golden glow lit his pupils as he pierced through her spiritual defenses, scanning the flow of spiritual energy within her body.
"There it is!" His gaze sharpened. About three inches above Zhou Wei's dantian, he spotted an unusually weak energy node—a flaw in her cultivation technique!
Zhou Wei felt the intrusion and her expression changed. "Spirit Sight?" she hissed. Her hands flew through a series of seals. The ice sword before her spun rapidly, and dozens of crystalline needles burst from the blade, raining down on Ji Chen like a storm!
There was no time to dodge.
In the split second before impact, the mark on Ji Chen's palm flared, and a golden light burst forth, forming the phantom of a primitive shield. The ice needles struck the barrier and shattered into glittering shards, scattering like stars in the lamplight.
"The Scripture protects its bearer?" Zhou Wei's eyes glinted with greed. "So it really is the Void Scripture!"
No longer holding back, she released the full might of her Core Formation stage cultivation. The temperature in the room plummeted. Frost rapidly spread along the walls, and Ji Chen's breath crystallized midair. His movements grew sluggish under the oppressive pressure.
"You're merely at Foundation Establishment. How dare you challenge a Core cultivator?" Zhou Wei's voice echoed coldly. Her hands moved again, summoning six illusory blades of ice that hovered in a ring around her. "Soulbinding Frost Chains!"
The six blades glowed white as they shot toward Ji Chen like binding chains.
At the critical moment, Ji Chen bit his tongue. The sharp pain cleared his mind just long enough to break the suppression. He channeled the Void Scripture with full force, spiritual energy rushing through his meridians like a tidal wave. Then he swallowed a crimson pill from his ring—Burst Spirit Pill.
The moment it entered his stomach, a searing wave of power erupted.
His aura surged, soaring to the level of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator. A golden glow enveloped his body, shattering the frost that bound him. Gripping the Spiritfang Dagger tightly, he dashed forward, targeting Zhou Wei's weak point with lethal precision.
"Fool!" Zhou Wei didn't dodge. Her ice sword flared with a chilling aura, its blade extending three extra feet. She lunged for his throat—intent on exchanging injury for death!
Just as the two were on the verge of a mutual strike, a silver flash burst through the window.
An arrow!
It struck Zhou Wei's sword at the perfect angle, deflecting its trajectory with a crisp clang. The blade veered, narrowly missing Ji Chen's neck and instead slicing across his shoulder, leaving a trail of icy blood.
"Su Wan?!" Ji Chen called out in disbelief and relief.
At the window, Su Wan stood with her silver bow drawn. Three more arrows were already nocked on the string. "Fire!"
All three arrows whistled toward Zhou Wei—aimed at her brow, throat, and heart!
Zhou Wei was forced to break off her attack. Her sword spun into a defensive whirl, knocking all three arrows aside.
"Go!" Su Wan leaped through the window and grabbed Ji Chen's arm, pulling him into a retreat.
Zhou Wei was about to pursue when her expression suddenly changed. She looked down—unnoticed until now, a golden talisman was stuck to her abdomen, flashing ominously.
"Detonate!" Ji Chen roared from the doorway.
Boom!
The explosion ripped through the room, hurling lab equipment and engulfing the floor in fire and smoke. The shockwave clashed with the cold aura Zhou Wei had released, forming a swirling mist of steam and ice. Zhou Wei staggered back, blood trickling from her lips. When she finally steadied herself, Ji Chen and Su Wan were long gone.
She wiped the blood from her chin, eyes glinting. "You can run... but the Void Scripture bearer—he'll be of great interest to Lord Nether."
n a secret safehouse on the outskirts of the city, Ji Chen collapsed into a chair, pale as a sheet. The side effects of the Burst Spirit Pill were setting in—his meridians felt like they were on fire, and his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
Su Wan hurriedly treated the wound on his shoulder, then fed him a few pills. "Are you insane? Taking on a Core Formation cultivator alone?"
"I'm alive, aren't I..." Ji Chen gave a weak smile. "And now we know for sure—Nightshade is monitoring Jiang City's spiritual meridians. They're planning something big."
Su Wan sighed, pulling out a jade box. "Here, medicine made with the last of the Crimsonjade Balm. It'll ease the backlash."
The cool salve immediately soothed the burning pain. Ji Chen let out a long breath, gripping Su Wan's hand. "Thanks for saving me."
"Don't get smug." She pulled her hand back, ears slightly red. "I was just making sure the Scripture didn't fall into the wrong hands."
Ji Chen chuckled but didn't press further. He closed his eyes and began circulating his energy, slowly recovering from the aftermath of the fight. As dangerous as the battle had been, it gave him a firsthand understanding of Core-level power—and deepened his grasp of the Void Scripture.
"We have to leave Jiang City," Su Wan said suddenly. "Zhou Wei saw your face. Nightshade won't stop."
Ji Chen shook his head. "We can't. If we leave now, and they activate whatever they're planning, millions will be in danger."
Su Wan's eyes widened. "Just the two of us? You almost died against just one Core cultivator! Who knows how many more Nightshade has?"
He was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you trust me?"
Su Wan rolled her eyes. "If not, I would've sold you out for a bounty already."
"Then come with me," Ji Chen stood, swaying slightly. "The Void Scripture mentions a secret realm nearby. If we're lucky, it might hold the power we need to fight back."
"Is it dangerous?"
"Very." He didn't sugarcoat it. "But staying here and waiting to be hunted is just as bad."
She hesitated—then nodded. "When do we go?"
"Tomorrow morning." Ji Chen looked up at the night sky. "Tonight, I'll teach you a resonance technique recorded in the Scripture. It could save us."
In the courtyard, bathed in moonlight, the two sat across from each other.
"The essence of the Void Resonance Technique is synchronized spiritual frequency," Ji Chen explained. "Our energies are compatible. If we can achieve full resonance, our combined strength will multiply."
He reached out. After a moment of hesitation, Su Wan placed her hand over his.
A pulse passed between them. At first, the rhythm faltered—but slowly, a strange harmony emerged.
Ji Chen's metallic spiritual energy merged with Su Wan's wood-based aura, forming a new current of bluish-gold light. It flowed between them, growing stronger with each cycle.
"This... is resonance?" Su Wan whispered, stunned. "It's so powerful!"
Ji Chen was equally amazed. "The Scripture says that partners who master this can fight as one—no need for words, just intent."
They trained under the moonlight, their connection growing deeper. When dawn finally broke, they parted reluctantly.
"It's time," Ji Chen said, brushing dew from his sleeves. "The entrance is in the old mining district to the north. We need to move fast."
With a few essentials packed, they left the safehouse in disguise. Ji Chen wore a morphing mask, becoming a rugged middle-aged man. Su Wan looked like a village woman.
On the bus, Ji Chen quietly explained, "The Scripture calls this place the Void Relic Realm—a trial ground left by Master Taixu from the ancient era. Those who pass its tests earn great rewards."
"How do you know where the entrance is?" Su Wan asked.
"The Scripture guides me," Ji Chen tapped his temple. "After reaching Foundation level, I've started sensing vague directions."
The mining district was long abandoned, overrun with weeds. They evaded patrolling guards and delved into the depths of a collapsed tunnel.
Ji Chen stopped before a solid stone wall. "Here. I can feel a spatial fluctuation."
He sliced his palm with the Spiritfang Dagger and let blood drip into a hidden groove. The wall shimmered. Ancient runes began to glow.
"Closer," he said, gripping Su Wan's hand. "It's opening."
A vortex of light formed—a portal. The suction pulled them in.
The world spun wildly. When they landed, they found themselves in an entirely different dimension.
Above them stretched a lavender sky. There was no sun, yet everything was bathed in soft light. Towering silver-blue trees surrounded them, and in the distance stood a massive white tower piercing the clouds.
"This is... the Void Relic Realm?" Su Wan breathed.
Ji Chen nodded. "Time flows differently here. Ten days inside is only one day outside. We have time to grow stronger."
Suddenly, the bushes rustled—a panther-like creature with six eyes lunged!
"Look out!" Ji Chen shoved Su Wan aside and countered with his dagger, now glowing gold.
The beast dodged and whipped its tail, launching a volley of venomous spikes. Su Wan fired three flaming arrows, intercepting them midair.
"Sync with me!" Ji Chen shouted, activating the resonance technique.
Their powers merged, his dagger glowing brighter than ever. He pierced the beast's underbelly while Su Wan's arrows incinerated its eyes with blue flame.
The creature howled and disintegrated into glowing motes—leaving behind a crystalline core.
"A spirit core?" Su Wan picked it up. "It's stronger than any spirit stone!"
Ji Chen grinned. "Looks like the Scripture didn't lie—this place is a cultivator's paradise. Let's check out that tower."
They fought through more beasts as they moved toward the white tower. Each battle honed their teamwork. Their synergy grew sharper with every step.
At last, they reached its base. Three ancient characters were etched above the door: Trial Tower.
"The tower has nine levels," Ji Chen said. "Each one has a test. The higher you go, the greater the reward."
Su Wan counted aloud. "Nine levels... one for each cultivation realm?"
He nodded. "Let's see how far we can go."
The gate opened silently.
Inside the first level was a stone stele, hovering midair.
Trial of the Heart Demon.
"The heart demon?" Su Wan frowned. "What does—"
Before she could finish, the world around them warped.
Ji Chen found himself back in the company office. Zhou Wei was approaching, sneering, her black sword drawn.
"A dreamscape?" he realized.
His spiritual energy was sealed—he was once again just a powerless office worker. Zhou Wei's blade slashed at him. The pain was real. Blood trickled down his arm.
"Give me the Scripture," she hissed. "You can't escape!"
Ji Chen backed into a wall. As the sword neared his chest, he understood—
This was a test.
He stopped dodging and moved forward, activating the Void Scripture—not with energy, but will.
"My heart is a mirror—reflecting truth. Void is infinite, all forms are illusion!"
The sword dissolved into mist, Zhou Wei's form vanishing. The dream faded. Ji Chen stood once again in the tower. Across from him, Su Wan emerged—pale, but clear-eyed.
"You made it?" he asked.
She nodded. "Saw... some bad memories. Let's not talk about it."
A staircase appeared, leading upward. On a stone pedestal rested two bottles labeled Clarity Pills.
"They refine spiritual energy!" Ji Chen cheered. "Exactly what we need!"
The pills brought noticeable improvement. They ascended to level two: a shifting illusion maze. It took three hours to escape—dodging traps and illusions, using resonance and Spirit Sight.
Reward: two Swiftstride Talismans for enhanced mobility.
Level three: Spiritual Tide—a trial of spiritual control within chaotic energy fields. Ji Chen nearly collapsed, but Su Wan steadied him with her Azure Phoenix Fire.
They passed, barely.
Reward: a jade slip containing the first three forms of the Void Sword Technique.
"It's recorded in the Scripture's fourth layer!" Ji Chen was ecstatic.
"Let's stop here," Su Wan advised. "Level three was brutal."
He agreed.
They retreated to a nearby cave, training and refining techniques. Days passed. Ji Chen mastered the first Void Swordform: Skybreaker Slash. It sent a golden arc of energy slicing through solid rock.
"Too slow to charge up," Su Wan critiqued.
"Then help me." Together, they combined the attack with her flame. Power doubled.
They pushed further. By day 30, they'd cleared level seven. Ji Chen stabilized his late Foundation stage. Su Wan broke through as well. Their resonance technique had evolved—they could now briefly match a Core cultivator in strength.
"Time to return," Ji Chen said.
"Shame. I liked it here," Su Wan whispered.
"We'll come back. The Scripture says the realm remembers successful challengers."
They re-entered the spatial rift.
Back in the abandoned mine, Ji Chen's communication charm pulsed wildly.
A message from Lin Mo:
"The safehouse has been compromised!"