Yue Xian approached Shen Yuxin, her tone soft yet firm. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help you out.”
Shen Yuxin nodded, her gaze softening. “Thank you. For now, let’s ensure that everything is in place.”
As the group exited the room, they began securing the surroundings of the courtyard, making sure no one disturbed Shen Yuan’s rest.
…
Faint voices began to echo in his mind. The voices were fragmented and distant, carrying an eerie sense of urgency.
‘Pri…val…’
‘T..ant…’
His brows furrowed as the words gradually became clearer. Opening his eyes, he found himself sitting on a majestic throne in a vast, dark expanse, illuminated only by a dim, ethereal glow that seemed to have no source.
Stretching endlessly before him was an army of such magnitude unlike anything he had ever seen. Their figures were shrouded in darkness, making it hard to see what they were.
But each soldier radiated an oppressive aura, their ranks disciplined, their silence unnerving.
Shen Yuan instinctively tightened, but instead of an empty fist, he felt something hard filling his hand.
He slightly lowered his head to see a majestic sword resting beside him, its body covered with runes. With a distinct name etched on its hilt: ‘Crimson Devourer.’
The faint voices returned, sharper now and filled with such strong conviction that it felt even death wouldn’t make them flinch.
“He’s coming…”
Shen Yuan felt his body move, sharply turning toward a specific direction of the void where the voices were pointing.
His body oozed with such a deathly chill that the mighty figures around him dropped to their knees within a second.
He watched as the infinite void began to distort. A wave of suffocating pressure descended upon the entire void, nearly driving the entire army to their knees.
Above the horizon, a figure emerged. Its silhouette was composed of pure darkness, as if it were the very origin of all that is unholy in this world.
Yet there was a strange charm to it, both beautiful and terrifying.
Before the soldiers could catch their breaths, the void behind the figure shattered, and an army as huge as their own emerged.
The voices rose in unison, bellowing now.
“FOR THE TYRANT!”
“FOR THE TYRANT!”
“FOR THE TYRANT!”
The figure shifted slightly, its gaze landing on Shen Yuan.
Its aura crazily spiked as it raised a spear toward him, large wings seeming to grow out of its back.
The figure kicked the void and lunged toward Shen Yuan, shouting, “PRIMEVAL!!!!”
Shen Yuan’s body moved as he stood up from his throne. He kicked the ground beneath the throne before jumping toward the black figure with his sword in hand.
Just as the sword and spear were about to clash, Shen Yuan’s vision shattered like glass, fragments dissipating into darkness.
He awoke with a sharp gasp, his chest heaving as though he had fought the heavens again. But his body ached in pain as his injuries had yet to heal.
His hand instinctively reached for the Crimson Devourer, still glowing faintly by his side on the bed.
He took a few deep breaths, calming his rapidly beating heart as the surroundings slowly came into focus: the serene interior of his new courtyard.
“Wha- Cough, cough-” Before he could even speak, he coughed violently due to his heavy internal injuries.
[YUAN’ER!! What happened?]
Yue Lan’s worried voice echoed in his head, filled with concern.
‘Another strange dream.’ He didn’t explain anything more as he lay down on the bed again.
[…Is it like the last time?]
‘Yes, but I don’t know if something changed this time or not, or why I am even having these dreams.’ He spoke in a tired voice, as it was truly not something he wanted to dream about.
[You may be able to figure something out about your bloodline once you advance to the higher realms. Until then, even I can’t help you,] she said with a helpless sigh.
Shen Yuan took a few more deep breaths to calm down, his breathing stabilizing as he put his sword back inside his inventory.
The sharp ache of his injuries reminded him of the toll of the recent tribulation he had faced. He closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts settling on Yue Lan’s voice in his mind.
She changed the topic from his dreams to his recent battle:
[Yuan’er, you’ve pushed yourself too much this time. Even you were on the verge of death during the recent battle.]
Shen Yuan smirked faintly despite his exhaustion. “You sound like my mom now,” he muttered.
[I’ll take that as a compliment.]
Yue Lan’s tone softened, but there was still a trace of worry.
[But seriously, if you keep this up, you’ll end up breaking yourself before the heavens even have the chance.]
“Don’t underestimate me,” Shen Yuan replied, his voice filled with power despite the fatigue. “If I’m not wrong, then I will have to face something far worse in the future, and if I don’t take these small risks right now, I might not survive that future.”
[Small risk? You’re calling this a small risk? You nearly got obliterated by the Heavenly Tribulation.]
Shen Yuan exhaled a sigh. “Anyways, I will probably face this level of danger regularly if my luck doesn’t work with me.”
[That doesn’t mean it’s okay to keep testing your limits like this.]
Yue Lan sighed, her presence a soothing balm to his battered spirit.
[Still, I’m impressed. Forging a tenth core… it’s unheard of.]
Shen Yuan opened his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly. “Speaking of that… I heard a notification during the battle. I ignored it at the time, but it might be important.”
[Oh? Then you should check it, Yuan’er. It is truly something worthy of you, especially considering what you’ve just achieved.]
He nodded slightly and willed the system interface to appear before him. A familiar blue screen materialized in front of him, displaying the backlog of notifications he had missed.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Ding]
[Congratulations, Host. You have accomplished an unprecedented feat: forging a Tenth Core.]
[Such an achievement defies the natural laws and places you among the legends of cultivation.]
[As a reward for your unparalleled will and talent, you have been granted the Immortal-Rank Soulforge Physique.]
Shen Yuan’s eyes widened, his fingers clenching the sheets beneath him. “Immortal-Rank Soulforge Physique…” he murmured.
Even if it was his third physique with a grade above the Saint Rank, it was impressive nonetheless, as it would only upgrade his arsenal of abilities.
[Hehe, do you like your reward, Yuan’er?]
Yue Lan’s sweet voice sounded in his mind.
[For your achievement of doing something impossible, it only makes sense to give you something that shouldn’t exist in the mortal world.]
“What exactly is the Soulforge Physique?” Shen Yuan asked, scrolling further to find a detailed description. His gaze fixed on the next part of the notification.
[Immortal-Rank Soulforge Physique]
Overview: The Soulforge Physique is an Immortal-Ranked Physique, revered for its unparalleled ability to create and refine clones forged from the cultivator’s Soul Essence.
Abilities: Clone ability is usable only at the Nascent Soul Realm. This physique transforms the cultivator into a master of Soul manipulation, granting the ability to forge Soul Clones that reside within their Sea of Consciousness.