Chapter 36 – Brothers Forged in Battle
The battlefield raged like a wounded beast.
Lin Xuan's spear blurred, Bai Liang's saber roared, and still the tide of demonic cultivators pressed closer. The two fought back-to-back, every step synchronized, every strike flowing into the other. They had been paired by fate, forced to rely on one another when death clawed at their heels.
And in that crucible, something stronger than sect bonds had been forged.
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The Strain of Choice
Lin Xuan's chest still throbbed with the lingering warmth of the baby dragon's slumber. Its roar had tipped the scales, but the enemy was not yet broken. His eyes slid to Bai Liang—shoulders heaving, arms shaking, blood on his sleeve and fury in his eyes.
He's at his limit.
Lin Xuan felt the impossible thought creep into his mind. He had used his gift to refine himself, to reshape pills, weapons, treasures… but never had he attempted to turn it outward, to change another.
Can I even do this? Should I?
His breath hitched as he blocked another strike, spear vibrating under the force. His gift was already a secret that could damn him if revealed. To use it here, to alter another cultivator's very body, was beyond dangerous. If it failed, Bai Liang could shatter from the inside.
But the memory of their battles burned through him. Night after night of shared blood and trust. They had stood against beasts, against assassins, against impossible odds. Bai Liang was no longer just a fellow disciple.
He was closer than family.
Lin Xuan's decision hardened. His eyes blazed with resolve.
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The Gift
"Bai," Lin Xuan said, voice steady despite the chaos. "I'm going to make you stronger."
Bai Liang's head snapped toward him, incredulous. "What are you—"
Lin didn't explain. He thrust his free hand against Bai Liang's back, spear still gripped in the other.
Energy surged.
The power of his Upgrade Talent roared out of him, latching onto Bai Liang's body like fire onto dry tinder. Bai stiffened, a strangled gasp escaping as his qi flared wildly, threatening to spiral out of control. Lin clenched his teeth, sweat beading on his brow.
Hold together… don't break. I won't let you break.
He poured focus into the process, guiding the upgrade as if tempering a blade. Muscles realigned, bones condensed, marrow shone like jade. His meridians widened, veins humming as if carved by lightning. His blood boiled and cooled, then boiled again, purged of weakness and infused with terrifying vitality.
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The Transformation
Bai Liang staggered forward, eyes wide, body trembling. Then, slowly, he straightened.
The changes were immediate. His physique swelled with newfound strength, every movement radiating controlled power. His saber—once heavy in his hands—now felt like a feather. He swung it experimentally, and the air howled, a crescent of qi carving a line through three enemies at once.
His aura surged. What had once been the pressure of a skilled fighter now burned like a beacon, a presence equal to late Foundation Establishment.
Bai looked at Lin Xuan, speechless, realization flickering in his eyes. But Lin only met his gaze, saying nothing more.
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Brothers in Blood
The enemy pressed again, demonic blades flashing. Bai Liang answered with a roar, saber carving arcs of silver light. Where his blade passed, bodies fell like wheat before a scythe. Lin Xuan's spear wove beside him, lightning and fire bursting in tandem with Bai's strikes.
For the first time in hours, they advanced instead of retreating. Each strike echoed with their bond, unspoken yet undeniable.
Enemies who had once smirked and surged forward now faltered, fear flashing in their eyes as two men—reborn as brothers—cut them down like harvesters in a storm.
Lin Xuan felt the strain still in his bones, the danger of what he had done, but he did not regret it.
Because Bai Liang was no longer simply a comrade.
He was his brother-in-arms.
And together, they were unstoppable.