Chapter 8: Shadows Within the Outer Sect.
2000 Words
The morning mist clung to the mountains as the first rays of sunlight spread across the Azure Cloud Sword Sect.
Outer disciples were already gathered in the training grounds, practicing sword forms before the day's assignments.
Yet no one paid attention to their own cultivation.
Their eyes kept drifting toward one person.
Lin Chen.
Whispers followed him wherever he walked.
"That's him..."
"The one who defeated Wang Hu."
"They say Elder Mo personally summoned him."
"I heard he spent the entire afternoon on Forgotten Sword Peak."
"No ordinary disciple is allowed there."
Some looked at him with admiration.
Some envy.
And few...
With naked hostility.
Lin Chen ignored them all.
Fame was like a sharp sword.
But dangerous if wielded carelessly.
In his previous life, countless enemies had appeared because his name spread too quickly.
He had no intention of repeating that mistake.
At the Resource Hall, disciples queued to receive their monthly cultivation supplies.
When Lin Chen stepped forward, the elder in charge was surprise.
"So you're Lin Chen."
The old steward searched beneath the counter before placing three small jade bottles onto the table.
"According to Elder Mo's order, your monthly allocation has been increased."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
"Increased?"
"Since when do Outer Disciples receive special treatment?"
"Is Elder Mo accepting disciples again?"
Lin Chen accepted the bottles with a respectful nod.
Inside were fifteen Body Tempering Pills.
Three times the normal amount.
It wasn't enough to make him strong overnight.
But it would significantly shorten his recovery.
As he turned to leave, a cold voice stopped him.
"Receiving extra resources without contributing to the sect..."
"Doesn't that feel shameful?"
The hall fell silent.
A young man dressed in fine blue robes stepped forward.
Unlike the patched uniforms of most Outer Disciples, his robes were embroidered with silver thread.
At his waist hung an expensive jade pendant.
His expression carried undisguised arrogance.
Lin Chen recognized him from memory.
Zhao Feng.
A member of the Zhao Noble House.
The same family responsible for destroying Lin Chen's household years ago.
Memories surged through his mind.
His father kneeling in the rain.
His mother coughing blood.
His little sister crying as armed guards dragged her away.
The original Lin Chen's hatred burned deep within his soul.
For a brief moment...
Lin Tianyi's calm mind and Lin Chen's grief collided.
His fingers tightened around the jade bottles.
Then...
He slowly released his grip.
"Not yet."
"Revenge without strength is suicide."
The Voidheart Scripture quietly calmed the turmoil in his heart.
Zhao Feng smiled mockingly.
"I've heard about your little victory."
"You defeated Wang Hu."
"So what?"
"He was merely a brute."
The surrounding disciples instinctively stepped back.
Everyone knew Zhao Feng's reputation.
Unlike Wang Hu, Zhao Feng possessed genuine talent.
He was already at the Fourth Layer of Body Tempering.
Only one step away from qualifying for the Inner Sect examination.
More importantly...
His family wielded enormous influence within Azure Cloud City.
Offending him rarely ended well.
Lin Chen met his gaze calmly.
"Do you need something?"
The simple question caught Zhao Feng off guard.
He had expected anger.
Fear.
Defiance.
Instead...
He saw only indifference.
It irritated him even more.
"I heard Elder Mo values you."
"So I'll give you one chance."
"Kneel."
"Hand over your resource pills."
"And publicly admit you're only pretending to be talented."
"I'll pretend this never happened."
The hall became deathly quiet.
Several disciples lowered their heads.
No one dared interfere.
Everyone knew this wasn't about pills.
This was humiliation.
Lin Chen smiled.
It wasn't a warm smile.
Nor an angry one.
It was the faint smile of someone who had once looked down upon immortal emperors.
"Finished?"
Zhao Feng frowned.
"What?"
"I asked if you'd finished talking."
The noble youth's face darkened.
"You dare—"
Before he could finish—
Lin Chen took one step forward.
Only one.
Yet the entire atmosphere shifted.
The confidence in Zhao Feng's eyes faltered for the briefest instant.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
He suddenly felt as though an invisible sword rested against his throat.
No spiritual pressure.
No killing intent.
Only...
An indescribable sense of danger.
Lin Chen spoke softly.
"Remember this."
"There are some people..."
"...your family cannot afford to provoke."
For one heartbeat...
No one moved.
Then Lin Chen calmly walked past him.
He didn't look back.
He didn't wait for a reply.
Because in his eyes...
Zhao Feng wasn't worthy of another word.
The moment Lin Chen disappeared from the hall, Zhao Feng finally recovered.
His fists clenched so tightly that blood trickled from his palms.
His breathing became ragged.
"What..."
"...was that?"
A Fourth Layer cultivator...
Had actually been intimidated by a Third Layer Outer Disciple.
His pride couldn't accept it.
One of his followers stepped closer.
"Young Master Zhao..."
"Should we teach him a lesson?"
Zhao Feng slowly looked toward the exit.
His eyes were filled with malice.
"No."
"Not yet."
"Elder Mo is watching."
"But the Outer Sect Trial begins in three days."
He smiled cruelly.
"Accidents happen during trials."
"If Lin Chen dies inside the Spirit Beast Forest..."
"...who could blame anyone?"
Unaware of the conspiracy taking shape, Lin Chen returned to his small courtyard.
He placed the three jade bottles beside the five pills Xu Liang had given him.
Twenty Body Tempering Pills.
Enough to attempt another breakthrough.
But before cultivating, he took out the bamboo scroll.
The Heart Before the Sword.
He opened it once more.
This time...
Hidden words slowly began to appear beneath the original text.
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed.
"So..."
"It reveals itself only after recognition."
The true inheritance of Forgotten Sword Peak...
Had only just begun.
The courtyard fell into silence after Lin Chen closed the wooden gate.
The distant noise of disciples training faded into the background, replaced by the gentle rustling of bamboo leaves outside his modest residence.
He placed the twenty Body Tempering Pills neatly before him.
Beside them lay the faded bamboo scroll from Forgotten Sword Peak.
Lin Chen took a slow breath.
"There is no need to rush."
In his previous life, countless geniuses had destroyed their own foundations by chasing cultivation speed.
Strength built on unstable ground would eventually collapse.
He would not repeat their mistakes.
He carefully unfolded the bamboo scroll once again.
The familiar sentence greeted him.
"Before learning how to wield a sword, learn why you draw it."
This time, instead of reading it, Lin Chen slowly closed his eyes.
His spiritual sense drifted toward the words.
Suddenly—
A faint silver glow spread across the bamboo slips.
Ancient characters began appearing beneath the original sentence.
One after another.
Like stars emerging from a cloudy night.
Lin Chen's expression remained calm, but his heart trembled slightly.
"As expected..."
"The true inheritance was hidden."
The newly revealed text was not a sword technique.
It was a cultivation philosophy left behind by the founder of Forgotten Sword Peak.
A sword is not merely a weapon.
It reflects the heart of its master.
An evil heart breeds a demonic sword.
A fearful heart dulls its edge.
• Only an unwavering heart can cut through Heaven itself.
Lin Chen silently memorized every word.
The author possessed extraordinary insight.
Although his understanding could not compare to Lin Tianyi's former achievements, it contained a purity rarely seen in the cultivation world.
He couldn't help but nod.
"No wonder Elder Mo protected this place for decades."
Further down, another sentence appeared.
"Those who comprehend the Heart Before the Sword may enter the First Gate of Sword Intent."
Sword Intent.
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed.
Even in the Heavenly Realms, only true geniuses could comprehend Sword Intent.
Normally, cultivators needed to reach far higher realms before even touching its threshold.
Yet this scroll offered another path.
Not through cultivation.
But through understanding.
Unfortunately...
His current body was far too weak.
Attempting to awaken Sword Intent now would only injure his soul.
"I'll remember this."
"One day, this inheritance will bloom again."
He carefully rolled the scroll back up.
Night gradually descended over the Azure Cloud Sword Sect.
Moonlight streamed through the cracked window.
Lin Chen swallowed one Body Tempering Pill.
Warm spiritual energy spread throughout his meridians.
Then another.
And another.
The Voidheart Scripture immediately began revolving.
Unlike ordinary cultivation techniques that slowly refined spiritual qi...
The Voidheart Scripture devoured it.
Every strand of energy entering his body was broken apart, purified, and compressed before merging with his dantian.
The process was excruciating.
His muscles trembled.
Veins bulged across his arms.
Drops of blood seeped from his pores.
Yet his expression never changed.
Pain...
Was an old companion.
Hours passed.
The twentieth pill dissolved completely.
A loud c***k echoed within his body.
Fourth Layer of Body Tempering!
His physical strength surged.
His bones became denser.
His muscles tougher.
His senses sharper.
Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared.
"This foundation..."
"...is finally worthy of cultivation."
Unlike ordinary Fourth Layer cultivators, every breakthrough he achieved had been tempered repeatedly by the Voidheart Scripture.
Though they shared the same cultivation realm...
His actual combat strength had increased by far more.
Far away, within a luxurious courtyard reserved for noble disciples...
Zhao Feng slammed his teacup onto the table.
The porcelain shattered.
"You still haven't found an opportunity?"
A kneeling disciple lowered his head.
"Elder Mo's attention remains on Lin Chen."
"We can't act inside the sect."
Zhao Feng's eyes turned icy.
"Then we'll act outside."
He unfurled a map.
His finger rested upon a dense forest beyond the sect.
"The Outer Sect Trial."
"The Spirit Beast Forest."
His lips curved into a cruel smile.
"The elders only care whether disciples return with enough beast cores."
"If one disciple dies..."
"They'll simply call it unfortunate."
The room filled with sinister laughter.
One of Zhao Feng's followers hesitated.
"But Young Master..."
"I heard Lin Chen defeated Wang Hu without much effort."
Zhao Feng snorted.
"Wang Hu?"
"An i***t who relied only on brute force."
"This time..."
"I'll send three Fourth Layer disciples."
"And one Fifth Layer."
"No matter how talented Lin Chen is..."
"He'll never leave that forest alive."
Meanwhile...
At the entrance of Azure Cloud Sword Sect...
The mysterious old traveler finally arrived.
The gate disciples blocked his path.
"Halt."
"This is Azure Cloud Sword Sect."
"What business do you have here?"
The old man smiled gently.
"I've come..."
"...to meet an old friend."
The guards exchanged confused glances.
"Our elders are in closed-door cultivation."
"You'll need an invitation."
The old man simply chuckled.
"If I wished to enter..."
"Do you truly believe these gates could stop me?"
Before anyone could react...
His figure vanished.
The guards stared blankly.
The old man had disappeared without leaving the slightest ripple of spiritual energy.
One disciple rubbed his eyes.
"D-Did you see that?"
The other swallowed hard.
"I..."
"I don't think he walked through the gate."
"It looked more like..."
"...the space itself moved around him."
High atop Forgotten Sword Peak...
Elder Mo Yun abruptly stood from his meditation.
His weathered eyes widened.
"Such profound spatial comprehension..."
"It can't be..."
He rushed outside.
Yet the mountain path was empty.
Only a single white chess piece rested upon the stone table.
Mo Yun slowly picked it up.
His breathing became uneven.
He recognized this chess piece.
Three hundred years ago...
Only one person in the entire Eastern Continent enjoyed leaving white chess pieces wherever he visited.
"The Wandering Sword Saint..."
Mo Yun whispered.
"But..."
"Weren't you supposed to have disappeared a century ago?"
A gust of mountain wind swept through the peak.
Somewhere nearby...
An old man laughed softly.
"Perhaps..."
"...this old ghost has finally found what he's been searching for."
Far below, completely unaware of the storm beginning to gather around him, Lin Chen sat quietly beneath the moonlight.
His eyes remained fixed on the night sky.
For the first time since his rebirth...
He felt that fate itself had begun to move.
And somewhere in the darkness...
Someone was already watching him.
- Writer
