The crimson light of dawn spilled across the ruined forest. Smoke still rose from the remains of the sects that had tried to ambush Lin Xian. Their ashes scattered in the cold wind, mixing with blood-soaked soil. The world was quiet again — too quiet.
Lin Xian stood at the edge of a cliff, his long black hair flowing in the breeze. His eyes glowed faintly red, a sign of the devoured bloodline that now pulsed within him. His aura was vast — no longer something that belonged to a man, but to a being that had touched the forbidden line between heaven and devil.
Behind him, Shen Yue and Lin Yuer slowly walked up. Both had changed after the battle. Their innocent eyes were gone, replaced by calmness and a trace of darkness. They had killed, betrayed, and bled beside Lin Xian. There was no going back.
"Everything is ready," Lin Yuer said softly, lowering her head. "The remnants of Crimson Sect have been wiped out. The surrounding clans won't dare move for now."
Lin Xian nodded. His voice was low, almost distant. "Good. But that's only the beginning."
Shen Yue tilted her head, her silver hair shining faintly under the morning light. "Are we going to face the Shen Family next?"
Lin Xian turned around, his gaze sharp and unreadable. "Yes. They will descend from the upper world in a few days. And when they do, I'll be ready."
There was silence for a moment. Then Shen Yue asked quietly, "Do you plan to kill them all?"
Lin Xian's eyes darkened. "If I don't, they'll kill me. Heaven already favors their bloodline. I've stolen what should be theirs — Shen Tian's fate, his bloodline, his destiny. They will never forgive that."
He clenched his fist. The faint image of a dark lotus appeared behind him, spinning slowly. It was his cultivation symbol — a mark of defiance against heaven itself.
---
That night, under the blood moon, Lin Xian sat cross-legged in a cave. His consciousness entered the System Space, where endless void stretched out. The familiar blue screen appeared before him.
> [Host: Lin Xian]
Realm: Soul Transformation (Mid Stage)
Luck Value: 11,450 (Devoured Destiny: +6500)
System Points: 31,000
Current Mission: Defy Heaven – Destroy Shen Bloodline's Supremacy
Lin Xian smirked slightly. "Even the system knows I'll stand against heaven now."
> System Notification:
New Function Unlocked – Fate Prediction: The host can glimpse fragments of upcoming fate lines of chosen targets.
His eyes flashed. "Fate prediction… now that's interesting."
He immediately used the function and focused on the name 'Shen Family Arrival'.
The space trembled. Images flashed before his eyes — a grand golden ship descending from the sky, filled with powerful cultivators cloaked in divine light. At the center stood a middle-aged man with the same bloodline aura as Shen Tian. His voice boomed across the heavens.
> "Who dares defile the Shen bloodline!?"
Then, Lin Xian saw himself — kneeling in chains, his body bleeding, Shen Yue crying beside him, and Lin Yuer standing frozen in shock. The vision ended abruptly.
Lin Xian's eyes snapped open, breathing heavily. The cave trembled with his killing intent.
"Fate wants me to kneel?" he muttered coldly. "Then I'll crush fate again."
---
The next morning, Shen Yue noticed his heavy expression. "You saw something in the system again, didn't you?"
Lin Xian didn't answer immediately. He looked at her — her pale skin, her soft eyes that once belonged to a naive girl. Now, they were filled with devotion and hidden fear. He sighed softly.
"Yes. I saw the future — one where I lose everything."
Shen Yue stepped closer. "Then we'll change it again, like we always do."
Her words carried quiet determination. Lin Xian smiled faintly. "You believe in me too much."
She shook her head. "You taught me to never believe in heaven. Only in myself… and in you."
At that moment, Lin Yuer entered, holding a black jade token. "This came from one of our spies. The Shen Family's ship has been sighted near the northern skies. They'll arrive within two days."
Lin Xian's eyes turned sharp. "Then it begins."
---
Two days later, the sky above the northern mountains split open. A colossal golden ship descended, glowing like a small sun. Spiritual pressure spread for miles, making beasts kneel and rivers tremble.
The Shen Family had arrived.
Onboard, dozens of powerful cultivators stood with pride. At the front was the patriarch — Shen Haoran, a man whose presence could crush mountains. His aura carried the power of the Heaven Realm, far beyond mortal understanding.
Behind him stood several elders, and among them was a young woman who looked exactly like Shen Yue — yet more refined, divine, and cold. She looked down at the mortal world with indifference.
"Patriarch," an elder said, "our bloodline tracker confirms it. Two of our lost children are here… and someone else carries a corrupted version of the Shen bloodline."
Shen Haoran's expression turned dark. "So the thief truly exists."
---
Meanwhile, in a valley nearby, Lin Xian stood with both girls. The wind blew fiercely as he watched the sky tear apart.
"So they've come," he murmured.
Shen Yue trembled slightly. "Father… Mother… they're on that ship."
Lin Xian placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then this is your choice, Yue. When the time comes — will you stand with them or with me?"
She looked up at him, eyes wet but firm. "I'll stand where my heart belongs."
Lin Yuer also stepped forward. "We made our choice long ago. We follow you, Lin Xian."
He smiled faintly. For a moment, a trace of warmth returned to his cold eyes. "Then let's give them a welcome they won't forget."
---
As the golden ship descended, Shen Haoran's spiritual sense spread across the valley. His voice echoed like thunder.
> "Come out, thief of fate! The Shen bloodline cannot be tainted!"
Lin Xian rose into the sky, surrounded by a storm of black energy. His aura clashed against Shen Haoran's divine pressure, creating violent ripples across the clouds.
"I'm no thief," Lin Xian said calmly. "I just took what heaven denied me."
Shen Haoran's gaze was filled with killing intent. "Arrogant mortal. You dare to devour a heavenly bloodline? Your very existence is a sin!"
Lin Xian smirked. "Then let me show you what sin can do."
He waved his hand, and the dark lotus behind him bloomed fully. The sky turned red. The spiritual pressure from both sides shook the heavens themselves.
The Shen Family elders gasped as their own energy wavered. Shen Haoran roared and unleashed divine power, forming golden dragons that rushed toward Lin Xian.
Lin Xian raised his palm, summoning a black domain that swallowed the dragons whole. "You think heaven's light can reach me now?"
Shen Haoran's eyes widened slightly. "Impossible…"
But Lin Xian didn't stop. He activated the Heaven Devouring Art and absorbed the spiritual energy from the air itself, growing stronger every second. His voice echoed coldly:
"Today, heaven descends… but the earth rises."
---
Down below, Shen Yue and Lin Yuer fought off the Shen Family guards. Their combined sword dance cut through the golden soldiers like rain. Each slash carried the will of freedom — of breaking fate.
"Yue!" Lin Yuer shouted over the roar of battle. "He's pushing himself too far!"
Shen Yue's eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Lin Xian, who was now surrounded by lightning and blood-red clouds. "He always does… because he refuses to bow."
---
The battle above grew more terrifying. Shen Haoran unleashed his true form — a colossal celestial shadow with divine wings. Lin Xian met it head-on, his dark lotus expanding into the sky.
Their clash split the heavens. The mountains cracked. The rivers turned to steam.
At that moment, Shen Haoran raised his divine sword. "I'll erase your soul and cleanse the bloodline!"
Lin Xian laughed — a cold, wild laugh. "Then let's see whose fate ends first!"
He poured every ounce of his energy into the Heaven Devouring Art. The red lotus behind him shattered, turning into streams of energy that merged with his body. His aura soared beyond the limits of the mortal world.
The collision of divine light and dark energy blinded the sky. The entire world seemed to freeze for a second — and then, everything exploded in a storm of destruction.
---
When the dust settled, the golden ship was shattered. The valley below was gone.
Lin Xian floated in the air, blood dripping from his mouth. Shen Haoran's body was nowhere to be seen — only a fragment of his divine sword remained, floating in silence.
Lin Xian looked down at his trembling hand. The blood of heaven flowed within his veins now. He had devoured not just Shen Tian, but also Shen Haoran's essence.
He smiled weakly. "So… I finally touched the heavens."
Below, Shen Yue and Lin Yuer rushed to him, tears in their eyes.
"Xian!" Shen Yue cried, holding his bleeding body.
He touched her cheek gently. "Don't cry… the war has just begun."
The blood moon rose once more, reflecting in his crimson eyes.
> "If heaven wants a villain," Lin Xian whispered, "then I'll give them one worthy of fear."
---
End of Chapter 32
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