The Spirit Core Vault.
Its gates had long slumbered beneath a veil of obsidian mist, nestled within the cracked bones of an ancient battlefield. Even from a distance, the ground pulsed with a deep, sullen heartbeat—residual spiritual pressure that made lower-tier cultivators stagger.
Now, the gates stood wide.
Dozens of sects had gathered. The Dimensional Rift had thinned once more, revealing treasures buried since the Great Collapse Era. In the air were Qi swords, artifact beasts, and cultivators from every major alliance within the Eastern Sky Territory.
But they all turned when a single figure arrived.
Li Xuan.
Clad in black robes soaked faintly with the blood of yesterday's foes, his saber rested across his back like a sleeping god of war. His expression was cold. Calm. Unreadable.
Behind him were no sect banners, no legion of subordinates.
And yet the air parted for him like water before a blade.
Some whispered.
"That's the one from the Ironblood Ridge…"
"He slew the Midnight Hydra and walked away with three spirit veins…"
"I heard he crushed the Purple Flame Sect's inner genius in a duel… with a single strike."
"He never bows… not even to the heavens."
Li Xuan didn't respond to any of it.
His eyes weren't on them.
They were fixed on the Spirit Vault's yawning mouth. Something inside called to him. Not like the system. This was different. Older. Hungrier.
System Notification:
—Mission Triggered: Vault Descent—
—Primary Objective: Claim the Warlord's Fragment (Hidden Tier)
—Optional Objective: Survive the Vault's Core Trial
—Reward Modifier: ??? (System Access Locked Temporarily)—
He stepped forward.
No hesitation.
Just before he passed the threshold, a girl fell into stride beside him. She'd been shadowing him for days.
"Still not going to talk to me?" she asked cheerfully.
Li Xuan didn't even glance.
"You're annoying."
"You didn't say no though." She grinned.
"Because rejecting you would make you louder."
Her smile widened. "See? We are talking."
Li Xuan exhaled. "Stay out of my way. Or die on your own."
But she followed him anyway.
—
Inside the vault, the spiritual density tripled. Fire and ice pulsed from fractured runes on the walls. Lightning arcs split the ground randomly, and the scent of ancient blood still clung to the very air.
The vault was alive.
And watching.
From the shadows, figures moved.
Three sect geniuses. Gold-ranked.
They stepped forward and blocked Li Xuan's path.
"Hand over your entry token," said the leader. "You're not worthy of walking here."
Li Xuan paused.
Then took a slow step forward.
The air shifted.
System Scan:
—Enemy 1: Late Foundation Establishment
—Enemy 2: Peak Qi Condensation
—Enemy 3: Mid Foundation Establishment
—Suggested Response: Disengage or Preemptive Strike—
—Personal Evaluation: WARNING – High Risk—
Li Xuan didn't stop walking.
"You'll kneel," the leader said again, drawing a jade axe.
Li Xuan's voice was like a whisper through a blade's edge.
"I don't kneel."
And then, he struck.
—
[Battle Sequence: Read Time ~4 Minutes]
The first clash shattered the nearby rune pillars. Dust exploded.
The jade axe descended like thunder—but Li Xuan's saber rose just enough to catch the arc. Sparks flew. Li Xuan's foot slid half an inch—just half. But that was enough for him to pivot and drive his knee into the man's ribs.
CRACK!
Before the second attacker moved, Li Xuan had already unleashed Phantom Step. His body blurred.
A shoulder-check smashed the peak Qi Condensation cultivator into a broken totem. A follow-up slice of his saber left a bloody line from chest to thigh. Blood fountained.
The third was fast. Lightning spiritual energy surged.
A spear shot like a viper.
SHIING!
Li Xuan deflected—but the impact numbed his left arm. A bolt of lightning curved and slammed into his back, sending him tumbling across the stone.
He hit the ground.
Coughed blood.
His saber was a few feet away.
The enemy stalked forward, spear glowing.
"Die—"
Li Xuan surged upward.
No system prompt. No boost.
Just instinct.
Just him.
He caught the spear mid-thrust, redirected it, and brought his elbow down hard onto the attacker's shoulder.
CRUNCH.
Then his hand gripped the hilt of his saber mid-spin—and brought it upward in a rising arc.
SLICE.
The man fell backward, chest ripped open.
Breathing hard, Li Xuan stumbled back, body trembling. Wounds opened on his side, and his breathing turned sharp.
But he was smiling.
He hadn't used the system once.
He needed to know he could still stand alone.
System:
—You refused system support. Trial registered.
—+21 EXP (Manual Combat Bonus: Applied)
—Current EXP: 412 / 500
—Cultivation: Late Qi Condensation (98%)
—Passive Skill Upgrade Unlocked: Combat Instinct Tier II
—Evaluation: Warrior's Will Path Confirmed—
He exhaled.
Wiped blood from his chin.
And moved deeper into the vault.
—
Hours passed.
Dozens of traps. Ambushes. Beast encounters. Twice, he had to flee.
Once, from a golden-plated demon beast that tore a Foundation cultivator in half with one swipe.
Another, from a venom wyvern nest that would've melted his bones on contact.
But he remembered everything.
Tracked movement. Studied terrain. Reinforced his muscles. Even trained his breathing to fight longer without relying on the system's stamina boost.
He was becoming a true warrior—not a puppet of convenience.
—
Deep in the Vault: Warlord's Fragment Room
A floating altar hovered above a pool of red mist. Surrounding it were hundreds of weapons embedded in the floor.
And at its center, a fragment.
A piece of bone.
Carved with war runes.
Li Xuan stepped forward. The pressure made his bones scream.
But he did not kneel.
He reached out.
System Alert:
—Fragment Acquired: Ancient Warlord Memory—
—Compressing Battle Memory…
—New Shop Category Unlocked: Warlord Skills
—Note: Purchasable only with EXP / System Points
—Examples:
• Bloodsteel Physique – Passive
• 13 Slash Tempest – Saber Art
• Titanbone Step – Movement Technique
—Warning: Fragment Will Draw Sovereign Senses if Unlocked Too Early—
Li Xuan took a long breath.
And whispered to himself, "Not yet. I'll earn it."
He turned back.
Unbent.
Unbroken.
Stronger than ever.
—
Current Stats:
Name: Li Xuan
Cultivation: Late Qi Condensation (98%)
EXP: 412 / 500
System Points: 309
Skills: Phantom Step, Kill Instinct (Passive), Combat Instinct II, Qi Compression
Weapons: Heaven-Shearing Executioner
Shop: Warlord Category [Locked: Needs EXP or SP]
Allies: None
Enemies: Many
Legion: Forming…