The faint hum of formations and ancient energy still echoed through the inheritance chamber when Li Xuan's instincts flared.
Someone was coming.
He turned toward the stairway—slow, deliberate footsteps echoed downward, each step heavy with malicious intent.
A figure emerged from the darkness. Cloaked in a black robe lined with crimson runes, the man's aura screamed of corruption. His eyes glinted with greed, and the spiritual energy radiating from him placed him firmly in the Qi Refinement 9th Level—the very peak of his realm.
"Well, well…" the man said, grinning as his gaze swept over the chamber. "What a lucky find. I felt the fluctuation from miles away. And here I thought it would just be a minor treasure…"
His eyes fixed on Li Xuan.
"But instead, I find a naive brat holding the inheritance of the Nine Heavens Moon Sect."
Li Xuan's jaw tightened.
"And who are you to speak so highly of yourself in someone else's tomb?"
The man laughed coldly. "Names are wasted on corpses, boy."
He flicked his sleeve—and a blood-colored chain whip unfurled, pulsing with demonic qi.
"You've done me a great favour, activating the inheritance and exposing it for me. Now, be good and die."
[Warning: Hostile Cultivator Detected – Qi Refinement Level 9]
[System Advice: Battle Level Slightly Higher – Engage with Caution]
But Li Xuan didn't back down. He drew the Divine Moon Sword, still half-sheathed, and took his stance. His aura surged—not just the strength of Body Refinement's legendary 10th stage, but the stable might of someone who had battled the limits of death to get there.
The enemy struck first.
The chain whip lashed through the air with a screech, seeking Li Xuan's throat. But Li Xuan moved like lightning, muscles coiled, and honed from days of combat training in the forest.
He ducked low, rolled beneath the strike, and slashed upward with a crescent arc of spiritual light.
Clang!
The chain coiled defensively, but sparks flew as the divine sword met it.
"You're not just a body refinement cultivator," the man growled. "What trick are you hiding?"
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed. "Live long enough, and maybe I'll tell you."
The system flared in his mind:
[System Reward: Battle Challenge Detected – Bonus Unlock Available]
[Temporary Boost: Reflexes +20%, Strength +15% (Duration: 5 minutes)]
Li Xuan blitzed forward.
What followed was a brutal dance—chain versus sword, demonic qi versus ancient moonlight. The chamber trembled from the clash of two worlds. Yet slowly, Li Xuan's strikes began forcing the enemy backwards.
The divine sword hummed, resonating with the inheritance around him.
Then, the cultivator made a fatal mistake.
He stepped near the altar—where an ancient glyph still pulsed faintly.
Li Xuan whispered a command.
"Moonlight Seal—activate!"
[Array Fragment Triggered – Gravity Seal Formation (Low-Grade)]
Suddenly, the floor beneath the cultivator glowed, and the man cried out as an invisible force crushed down upon him, slowing his movements to a crawl.
Li Xuan's eyes flashed.
He leapt, blade raised high, and brought it down with both hands.
SHNK!
The divine sword pierced the man's core.
His whip clattered to the stone floor.
The enemy spasmed once—and collapsed into stillness.
Blood stained the stone.
Silence fell once more.
Li Xuan exhaled slowly.
He sheathed the sword and stepped away from the corpse.
"Trying to take what was never yours… in a place you don't understand," he said coldly.
The chamber seemed to sigh in relief.
The inheritance had chosen its master—and the Nine Heavens Moon Sect had found a spark of rebirth.
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