The ancestral altar pulsed with sickly green light, its cracked stone trembling as if alive. Lin Feng stood frozen, his reforged sword drawn, its runes glowing faintly against the oppressive darkness. Before him, the cloaked figure loomed, their jade tablet radiating an eerie power that summoned spectral forms—ghastly creatures with hollow eyes and claw-like hands. Their wails pierced the night, a sound that clawed at Lin Feng's soul.
"Who are you?" Lin Feng demanded, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his heart. The system's energy thrummed in his chest, a lifeline in the face of this unknown threat. "What do you want with the forge?"
The figure's hooded head tilted, their eyes glinting like polished obsidian. "Ignorant child," they rasped, their voice a venomous hiss. "You wield a fragment of the Celestial Forge, yet you know nothing of its weight. Surrender it, or I'll carve it from your corpse."
Lin Feng's grip tightened on his sword. The Celestial Forge System—the mysterious power that had bound to his soul—was clearly more than a tool. This figure knew of it, coveted it, and their words hinted at a deeper truth. But there was no time to ponder. The specters lunged, their claws slashing through the air with unnatural speed.
Instinct took over. Lin Feng swung his sword, the Cloud-Piercing Strike flowing from his mind to his muscles. The blade sliced through the first specter, its form dissolving into wisps of green mist. But there were more—dozens, their numbers swelling as the cloaked figure channeled more power into the jade tablet. Lin Feng dodged and struck, his movements fueled by the system's energy, but each blow drained his stamina. His second-layer Body Tempering cultivation was barely enough to keep him alive.
"Host under attack. Activate Combat Analysis?" The system's voice echoed in his mind, calm and commanding.
"Yes!" Lin Feng thought, ducking under a claw that tore through his sleeve. The system's interface flared, overlaying his vision with data. It highlighted the specters' movements, predicting their attacks with uncanny precision. More crucially, it marked the jade tablet as the source of their summoning, its runes pulsing in sync with the green light.
"The tablet," Lin Feng muttered, his eyes narrowing. If he could destroy it, he might end this nightmare. But the cloaked figure stood between him and his goal, their presence radiating a pressure far beyond his own cultivation.
Lin Feng gritted his teeth, channeling the system's energy into his sword. The runes blazed brighter, and he unleashed a series of Cloud-Piercing Strikes, each one faster than the last. The specters fell one by one, but their numbers seemed endless. Sweat dripped down his brow, his muscles screaming with exertion. He needed an edge, something to turn the tide.
"New System Function Unlocked: Temporary Enhancement. Spend 50 System Points to boost physical attributes for 60 seconds. Current Points: 100."
Lin Feng's heart leaped. The system was offering him a lifeline, but at a cost. Half his points for a fleeting boost—was it worth it? The specters closed in, their claws inches from his flesh. He had no choice.
"Activate it!" he thought. A surge of power flooded his body, his muscles tightening, his senses sharpening. His vision cleared, and the world seemed to slow. With a roar, Lin Feng charged, his sword a blur as he carved through the specters. Their wails faded, their forms scattering like ash in the wind.
The cloaked figure snarled, raising the jade tablet. A wave of green energy erupted, slamming into Lin Feng like a tidal wave. He skidded backward, his boots scraping against the stone, but the system's enhancement held. He planted his feet, his sword raised, and met the figure's gaze.
"You're no ordinary mortal," the figure said, their voice laced with grudging respect. "But you're still too weak to wield the forge's true power."
"Then teach me," Lin Feng shot back, his voice defiant. "Or get out of my way."
The figure laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Bold words. Let's see if you survive this."
They slammed the jade tablet into the altar, and the green light exploded, coalescing into a massive specter—a humanoid figure twice Lin Feng's height, its body formed of writhing shadows. Its eyes burned with malice, and its claws were as long as swords. The pressure it exuded was suffocating, far beyond anything Lin Feng had faced.
The enhancement's timer ticked down—thirty seconds left. Lin Feng didn't hesitate. He leaped forward, his sword aimed at the specter's chest. The Cloud-Piercing Strike connected, but the blade barely scratched the creature's shadowy hide. It roared, swiping at him with a claw that tore a gash in the ground.
Lin Feng rolled, narrowly avoiding the blow. The system's Combat Analysis highlighted a faint glow at the specter's core—a pulsing orb that seemed to anchor its form. "That's the weak point," he realized. But reaching it would mean getting past those claws.
With ten seconds left in the enhancement, Lin Feng made his move. He feinted left, then darted right, using the specter's size against it. The creature's claw slammed into the altar, sending shards of stone flying. Lin Feng leaped onto its arm, running up its limb like a tightrope. The specter roared, but he was too fast. With a final burst of strength, he drove his sword into the glowing orb.
The specter shrieked, its form collapsing into a vortex of green mist. Lin Feng landed hard, his enhancement fading, his body trembling with exhaustion. The cloaked figure staggered, the jade tablet cracking in their hand.
"Impossible," they hissed. "A mere Body Tempering ant…"
Lin Feng raised his sword, his voice cold. "Leave. Now."
The figure hesitated, then vanished in a swirl of shadows, leaving behind the shattered tablet. The green light faded, and the altar returned to its silent, broken state. Lin Feng collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. The system's notification appeared, its tone almost triumphant.
"Emergency Task Complete: Investigate the Anomaly. Threat neutralized. Reward: 200 System Points, Access to System Archive (Limited). Current Points: 250."
Lin Feng's mind buzzed as the system unlocked the Archive, a repository of fragmented knowledge about the Celestial Forge. He glimpsed images of ancient forges, wielders who had shaped empires, and warnings of those who sought to steal its power. The cloaked figure was likely one such seeker, but their identity and motives remained a mystery.
As he caught his breath, Lin Feng examined the shattered jade tablet. Its runes were faded, but they bore a faint resemblance to those on his sword. He tucked the fragments into his robes, sensing they held secrets the system might later unlock.
The battle had pushed him to his limits, but it had also revealed the system's potential. The Temporary Enhancement had saved him, and the Archive hinted at a vast legacy. Yet, the cloaked figure's words lingered: You're still too weak to wield the forge's true power. Lin Feng clenched his fist. He would grow stronger, not just for himself, but to protect the system from those who sought to claim it.
With the outer disciple trials looming, Lin Feng knew he needed to prepare. The system's points could be spent on techniques or materials, but he also needed to refine his cultivation. The battle had strained his meridians, but it had also loosened the blockages in his spirit vein. He sat cross-legged by the altar, circulating his qi according to the system's guidance. The energy flowed smoother now, and by dawn, he felt a breakthrough imminent.
Returning to the Lin Clan, Lin Feng kept the night's events secret. The trials were his chance to secure resources and prove his worth, but the cloaked figure's attack suggested greater dangers. The system was a blessing, but it was also a beacon, drawing predators from the shadows.
Two days later, the outer disciple trials began. The courtyard was packed, disciples vying for the attention of the elders. Lin Feng stood among them, his sword at his side, his presence no longer ignored. His victory over Lin Hao had spread, and while some still mocked him, others watched with wary respect.
The first trial was a test of endurance: a climb up the Thousand Steps Peak, a mountain laced with qi-suppressing arrays. Lin Feng tackled it with grim determination, the system's energy sustaining him where others faltered. He reached the summit among the top ten, earning a nod from Elder Lin Wei.
The second trial was a combat tournament, and Lin Feng's heart raced as he stepped into the ring. His opponent was Lin Mei, a fourth-layer Body Tempering disciple known for her agility. The fight was brutal, her whip-like strikes testing his swordsmanship. But the system's Combat Analysis gave him an edge, and a well-timed Cloud-Piercing Strike secured his victory.
As the trials continued, Lin Feng's performance drew whispers. The elders conferred, their gazes lingering on his sword. Lin Feng felt a mix of pride and unease. The system had elevated him, but it had also made him a target.
On the final day, as Lin Feng prepared for the last trial—a hunt in the Verdant Cloud Mountains—a new system notification appeared, its text glowing with warning.
"Critical Alert: Forge Resonance Detected. An unknown entity is attempting to locate the Celestial Forge System. Host must evade detection during the trial. Failure Penalty: Exposure of System to Hostile Forces."
Lin Feng's blood ran cold. The cloaked figure's attack had been no coincidence. Someone—or something—was hunting the system, and the trial's chaotic environment would be the perfect place to strike. As he joined the other disciples at the mountain's edge, a strange pressure descended, like the gaze of a predator. From the forest's depths, a low, guttural roar echoed, and the ground trembled beneath his feet.