The voice of the golden-robed skeleton resonated directly within the mind—not as spoken language, but as pure spiritual intent: solemn, desolate, and burdened with the weariness of a millennium.
Dark-golden flames burned within its eye sockets, brighter than those of any guardian deity they had encountered before—brighter, and far more sentient.
[Warning: High-energy psychic entity detected (Remnant Soul State)]
[Energy Level: Heaven Tier, Lower Grade (Full state: Heaven Tier, Upper Grade)]
[Identity: Ling Xiaozi, Last Patriarch of the Demon-Suppressing Sect (Remnant Soul)]
[Threat Level: Extreme (Limited by remnant state; cannot be sustained long-term)]
Heaven Tier.
This was the first Heaven-tier existence Lu Chen had ever encountered—even as a remnant soul, it was still Heaven Tier.
Honeycomb and Ah Hu reacted instantly, assuming battle stances. The long saber in Honeycomb's hand shimmered with cold blue light, while Ah Hu—despite his grave injuries—gripped the battle axe taken from the Armory Hall.
Lu Chen raised a hand, stopping them.
He stepped forward and bowed deeply to the golden-robed skeleton. "Junior Lin Xiao, by a twist of fate obtained fragments of the Demon-Suppressing Stele and rashly intruded upon the sect's sacred grounds. I ask Senior for forgiveness."
His manner was respectful, yet neither servile nor timid.
Ling Xiaozi's remnant soul studied him for several breaths, then tapped the scepter lightly.
Humm—
Intricate array patterns flared across the floor of the grand hall. The twelve skeletal guardians dropped to one knee in unison, their hostility extinguished.
"Lin…" A ripple passed through Ling Xiaozi's consciousness. "After a thousand years, it is once again one bearing the surname Lin who returns with the Demon-Suppressing Stele… Fate is truly ironic."
Lu Chen's heart stirred. "Senior has known someone of the Lin surname?"
"More than known." Ling Xiaozi turned toward the complete stele hovering above the altar. "The fall of this sect was caused by a disciple surnamed Lin—Lin Xuan."
As expected.
It matched the inscription beneath the stone platform they had seen earlier.
"Lin Xuan… was a traitor?" Lu Chen asked.
"A traitor?" Ling Xiaozi released a soundless sigh. "No. He was not a traitor. He was… the chosen one."
The scepter pointed toward the starry pattern on the domed ceiling. The glowing gems shifted and reassembled, forming a living projection.
Within it appeared a young man clad in the core disciple's robes of the Demon-Suppressing Sect, studying a silvery metal plate in a sealed chamber—identical to the one from the Ark Laboratory.
"Lin Xuan was the most gifted disciple our sect had seen in three centuries," Ling Xiaozi's intent carried layered emotions. "Before thirty, he broke into the Earth Tier and was designated as my successor. Yet he became obsessed with 'objects from beyond this world'—artifacts fallen from the heavens, foreign to this realm."
The scene changed. Lin Xuan secretly entered the sect's forbidden grounds and opened a stone casket sealed for a thousand years. Inside lay a fist-sized silver core, its surface flowing with liquid light.
"He discovered the 'Extraterrestrial Core' and became convinced it contained power transcending this world—power sufficient to make the Demon-Suppressing Sect supreme." Ling Xiaozi's tone turned cold. "But our ancestral edict states: all things from beyond the heavens are calamity incarnate. They were to be sealed, never studied."
"He ignored all counsel and pursued his research in secret. And in the end… he drew them here."
The vision descended into chaos. Countless demons poured forth from spatial rifts, besieging the sect's mountain gate. Their formations were orderly, their movements unified—like a disciplined army.
Lin Xuan stood atop the highest point of the gate, clutching the silver core, his face twisted with madness. "Master! Do you see it now? This is power—the power to rewrite the laws of the world!"
Ling Xiaozi—still alive then—stood opposite him, roaring in fury. "Rebellious disciple! Do you even know what you have summoned?!"
"I know," Lin Xuan laughed wildly. "I have summoned a new world!"
He crushed the silver core in his hand.
The vision shattered into countless motes of light and vanished.
The grand hall returned to silence.
"In that battle, of the sect's three thousand disciples, more than two thousand eight hundred perished," Ling Xiaozi's intent was steeped in exhaustion. "I burned away my lifespan to activate the Demon-Suppressing Stele's final seal, imprisoning Lin Xuan and most of the demons beneath the Demon-Suppressing Abyss. The price was the destruction of my physical body—leaving only this remnant soul to guard the legacy and await a destined successor."
He turned back to Lu Chen. "You bear the surname Lin. Is this destiny… or coincidence?"
Lu Chen fell silent for a moment. "Junior is not descended from Lin Xuan. This body's bloodline comes from a mundane Lin family, unrelated to the Demon-Suppressing Sect."
"Is that so…" Ling Xiaozi scrutinized him. "Then why have you come? For the stele? For the inheritance? Or for… the 'Extraterrestrial Core'?"
"To become stronger," Lu Chen replied plainly. "In this world, the weak are prey. Without power, one lacks even the right to live. The stele and the inheritance can make me stronger—so I want them."
Blunt to the point of arrogance.
Behind him, Honeycomb broke into a cold sweat—this was not how one negotiated with a Heaven-tier remnant.
Yet Ling Xiaozi laughed.
"Good. Direct enough." With a sweep of his scepter, the complete Demon-Suppressing Stele descended from the altar, hovering before Lu Chen. "There are nine fragments to the stele. You possess five; these are the final four. But my inheritance will not be entrusted to cowards or hypocrites. You must pass three trials."
"Which three?"
"First, a trial of the heart." Ling Xiaozi gestured to the left, where a gate of light materialized. "Enter the Heart-Interrogation Illusion and confront the deepest fears and desires within you. Only one who remains true to himself may inherit the Demon-Suppressing Path."
"Second, a trial of strength." He pointed to the right; another gate of light appeared. "Defeat your Mirror Self. It will replicate all your abilities and combat skills, but its realm will exceed yours by half a tier. Triumph, and prove you are worthy to wield power."
"Third…" Ling Xiaozi paused. "A trial of karma. I will ask you three questions. You must answer truthfully. A single falsehood will sever the inheritance."
Three trials.
They sounded simple, yet Lu Chen knew that anything devised by a Heaven-tier remnant would be anything but.
"If I succeed, what will I gain?" he asked.
"The complete Demon-Suppressing Stele; the full core inheritance, The True Demon-Suppressing Canon; and…" Ling Xiaozi pointed beneath the altar. The ground split open, raising a jade platform bearing three items:
A heavy golden tome.
A violet pill the size of a dragon's eye.
And a palm-sized silver metal plate—identical to the one Lin Xuan had studied.
"The True Demon-Suppressing Canon in its entirety, capable of cultivation to the Heaven Tier; the Purple Mansion Creation Pill, Heaven-tier lower grade—consume it to reconstruct your foundation and shatter the Earth-tier bottleneck; and this Extraterrestrial Codex, recording all of Lin Xuan's research on the Extraterrestrial Core, as well as… the secrets of them."
"Them?" Lu Chen echoed.
"The origin of those demons," Ling Xiaozi said gravely. "Before his death, Lin Xuan claimed they were not natural lifeforms, but artificial creations. They came from beyond the heavens to harvest the beings of this realm as… nourishment."
Nourishment?
Lu Chen recalled the Ark Laboratory files and the Devourers' energy-consuming traits.
Could those demons also be bio-weapons?
"Junior accepts the trials," he said, bowing.
"Very well." Ling Xiaozi nodded. "Your companions may observe, but must not interfere. Otherwise… death."
The final words carried glacial killing intent. Honeycomb and Ah Hu stiffened, but dared not speak.
Lu Chen stepped into the gate of light.
The world shifted instantly.
The Heart-Interrogation Illusion.
Lu Chen found himself standing in a boundless white void—no sky, no ground, no reference, only endless pallor.
"Fear and desire…" he murmured.
At once, images emerged.
The first: his past life—lying in a pool of blood, a traitor's blade buried in his chest. A comrade he had once saved rifled through his gear and intelligence, then spoke calmly into a communicator: "Target eliminated. Requesting extraction."
Betrayal.
His deepest scar—not dying to an enemy, but to one of his own.
The traitor turned, grinning. "Captain, don't blame me. They paid too much."
Rage. Resentment. And a trace of… release?
Lu Chen watched calmly. "It's over," he said. "That life is dead. This one still lives."
The scene shattered.
The second image formed: he stood atop the Lin family ancestral estate, countless figures kneeling below—Lin Hao, Chen Zhenghao, Director Wang, even Old Master Lin Zhengxiong. All bowed before him, proclaiming him king.
Power.
The most immediate desire of his current life.
The image of himself wore imperial robes and a crown, gazing down upon the world. "Those who follow me prosper; those who oppose me perish!"
Tempting.
Lu Chen shook his head. "Power is a tool, not an end. I do not seek worship—I seek a world where no one dares force me to kneel."
The image shattered again.
The third appeared: he stood at the apex, level 100. With a gesture, stars collapsed and universes were born. The system announced: "Ultimate achievement attained. Ascension to higher-dimensional existence authorized. Eternal and indestructible."
Power beyond all measure.
The image laughed, voice echoing through creation. "I am destiny itself!"
This time, Lu Chen was silent for longer.
Eternal life. Invincibility. Transcendence beyond all limits.
At last, he smiled.
"Eternal and unchanging? How dull," he said. "What I love is the climb—the thrill of overcoming stronger foes, of reversing certain death. If I ever reached a final end, it would lose all meaning."
"And besides…" His gaze sharpened. "Who says that is the end? If the system comes from a higher dimension, what lies beyond that? I don't want to stop at a level—I want to ascend endlessly."
The illusion collapsed completely.
The white void crumbled and reformed.
Lu Chen now stood upon the peak of a lone mountain. Opposite him stood… himself.
His mirror image.
Level 25—half a tier above him.
"The second trial: combat," Ling Xiaozi's voice echoed. "Defeat it, or be defeated."
The mirror moved.
Identical stance. Identical technique. Identical intent.
Both drew their blades and charged, steel colliding midair.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
Lu Chen staggered back half a step—and so did the mirror.
Equal skill, but the mirror possessed denser energy and faster recovery.
A direct clash meant defeat.
He needed something the mirror lacked…
The stele fragments.
With a thought, five fragments flew out and hovered around him—but the mirror mirrored the action.
No—something was different.
The fragments could be copied, but the bond could not.
Lu Chen closed his eyes, recalling each fragment's origin: wrested from Ye Chen; discovered in Ghost-Leap Gorge; claimed from the sect ruins. Every fragment had been soaked in his blood.
That causality could not be replicated.
"Suppress!" he intoned.
The five fragments erupted in radiant gold, forming a colossal character—Suppress—which did not strike the mirror, but instead merged into Lu Chen's body.
A forbidden art of The True Demon-Suppressing Canon—
To Forge the Body into the Stele.
For a brief moment, the stele's power fused with his flesh.
The backlash was catastrophic: shattered meridians, ruined cultivation.
But now, he had no choice.
Golden light engulfed him as his aura surged.
Level 24… 25… 26… climbing to 28 before stopping.
The mirror attempted to imitate him, but without true resonance, its golden glow was hollow, devoid of might.
"It's over."
Lu Chen struck.
This blade carried the suppressive authority of the stele—and the resolve of two lifetimes.
The mirror raised its weapon to block, but the blade shattered. From crown to feet, it split cleanly in two and dissolved into light.
Lu Chen landed heavily. The gold light faded, agony tearing through him as his meridians collapsed.
But the second trial was passed.
Back in the grand hall, blood trickled from the corner of Lu Chen's mouth as he struggled to stand. Honeycomb moved to support him, but Ling Xiaozi halted him with a glance.
"Forging yourself into the stele… you truly dared to gamble," Ling Xiaozi's intent carried faint approval. "But in your current state, the third trial may be beyond you."
"Please ask," Lu Chen said, forcing himself upright.
"First question." Ling Xiaozi fixed his gaze on him. "If you inherit the legacy and later encounter Lin Xuan's descendants, how will you treat them?"
Lu Chen thought of Ye Chen, of the testament, of the Ye ancestor's betrayal.
"If they are enemies, I kill them," he answered without hesitation. "If allies, they may live. But the stele will not be returned—it is mine now."
"Even if you bear the name of ingratitude?"
"The debt was owed by the Ye ancestor to the Demon-Suppressing Sect, not by me to the Ye family," Lu Chen said coolly. "What I seized by my own ability, why should I return?"
Ling Xiaozi fell silent, then tapped the scepter.
"Second question: if your power one day suffices, how will you use the stele—to suppress demons, or… to suppress humanity?"
A subtle trap.
Lu Chen considered it. "I will suppress those who deserve suppression. Demons or humans—it makes no difference. Whoever blocks my path or threatens what I protect will be suppressed. The stele is a tool; its morality lies with its wielder."
"And if your heart falls into demonic madness?"
"Then suppress me as well," Lu Chen smiled faintly. "If I ever lose myself and slaughter the innocent, being suppressed would be just. Power should never be without restraint—not even self-imposed restraint."
The flames in Ling Xiaozi's eyes flickered.
"The final question," he said slowly. "If I tell you that inheriting this legacy will bind you to the Demon-Suppressing Sect's millennial karma, making you a mortal enemy of them, perhaps even costing you your life… would you still accept?"
"I would," Lu Chen replied almost instantly.
"Why?"
"Because even without it, I already have countless enemies," Lu Chen wiped the blood from his lips. "The Association, the Chen family, the Ghost Organization… adding them changes nothing. When debts pile high, one stops worrying."
After a pause, he added, "And if those demons truly are artificial creations, then whatever made them will eventually come for me anyway. Better to confront it head-on than wait to die."
Silence reigned.
At length, Ling Xiaozi sighed toward the heavens. "A thousand years of waiting… at last, a successor."
He raised the scepter. The complete Demon-Suppressing Stele flew toward Lu Chen, merging with the five fragments into a single whole.
Nine fragments—complete at last.
The stele shrank into a streak of light and sank into Lu Chen's brow.
At the same time, the golden tome, the Purple Mansion Creation Pill, and the Extraterrestrial Codex floated before him.
"The full True Demon-Suppressing Canon has been imprinted into your consciousness. As your cultivation grows, its seals will unlock in stages. Consume the Purple Mansion Creation Pill when you break into the Earth Tier—it will forge a flawless foundation. As for the Extraterrestrial Codex… study it with caution. Do not follow Lin Xuan's path."
Ling Xiaozi's figure began to fade.
"My remnant soul will soon disperse. Let me aid you one final time."
The scepter pointed forth, releasing a beam of violet light into Lu Chen's body.
The shattered meridians healed rapidly, stronger than before; his internal injuries vanished. His cultivation not only failed to regress—it stabilized firmly at level 25.
[Obtained: Complete Demon-Suppressing Stele (Heaven Tier, Lower Grade · Sealed)]
[Current Seals: Nine Layers (to be unlocked progressively)]
[Unlocked Function: Stele Spirit Awakening (Initial)]
[Stele Spirit Abilities: Autonomous Protection, Energy Replenishment, Spatial Perception (100 km)]
[Obtained: The True Demon-Suppressing Canon (Complete, Heaven-tier Art)]
[Obtained: Purple Mansion Creation Pill x1]
[Obtained: Extraterrestrial Codex (Fragmentary)]
System notifications flooded in.
Lu Chen dropped to one knee. "Thank you, Senior, for the transmission of the Dao."
"No need to thank me," Ling Xiaozi's form was now translucent. "The Demon-Suppressing Sect's legacy… is entrusted to you. Do not… disappoint me…"
With those words, the remnant soul dissipated completely.
The inheritance scepter clattered to the floor, its purple crystal dim and lifeless.
The grand hall began to tremble.
"The secret realm is collapsing!" Honeycomb shouted. "With the inheritance taken, its core support is gone!"
Indeed, cracks spiderwebbed across the walls as gems rained down from the dome.
"Move!" Lu Chen seized the scepter and the Extraterrestrial Codex and sprinted for the exit.
Honeycomb supported Ah Hu as they followed.
They raced through the corridors as thunderous roars echoed behind them—the entire realm collapsing.
"Where's the exit?!" Ah Hu yelled.
"Follow me!" A phantom image of the complete stele manifested at Lu Chen's brow, projecting a three-dimensional map—the stele spirit's navigation ability.
The map revealed an emergency teleportation array three hundred meters ahead.
They reached it just as Lu Chen injected energy into the array.
White light engulfed them.
The next instant, they stood upon a hillside in the Yunling Mountains.
Behind them, the once-dreaded Ghost's Sorrow Valley collapsed in a storm of dust and debris. The secret realm was gone.
"Finally… out," Honeycomb collapsed to the ground.
Ah Hu lay back, gasping for breath.
Lu Chen remained standing, sensing the changes within.
The complete Demon-Suppressing Stele floated within his consciousness, radiating gentle energy that nourished both soul and flesh. The stele spirit was a hazy awareness, infantile yet capable of simple communication.
"Master…" a faint voice echoed in his mind.
"Do you have a name?" Lu Chen asked.
"Demon-Suppressing… that is my name."
"Then I'll call you Little Stele."
The spirit seemed unconcerned with the casual naming.
Honeycomb rose and looked at Lu Chen. "Now that you have the inheritance… what's your plan?"
Lu Chen met his gaze calmly. "As agreed, I'll copy the data from the Extraterrestrial Codex for you. The physical artifact stays with me."
"That works." Honeycomb nodded. "But we need to leave quickly. The disturbance was too great—the Association and the Chen family will investigate."
"No rush." Lu Chen retrieved the silver plate. "First, we find somewhere safe and extract the data."
They descended the mountain and took shelter in an abandoned forestry hut at its base.
Lu Chen connected the metal plate to the portable computer Ah Que had provided—a Ghost Organization device with independent power and storage.
The data extraction was smooth, but the contents were chilling.
The codex was not a cultivation manual at all—it was an experimental report.
Project Name: Bio-Weapon 'Harvester' Prototype Test Log
Source of Test Subjects: Cross-Dimensional Colonial Vessel 'Ark' (Crashed in this Realm)
Objective: Evaluate energy absorption efficiency of Harvesters on native lifeforms
Results: Subjects exhibit extreme adaptability and evolution; however, unexpected emergence of group consciousness poses a potential threat to controllers
Recommendation: Immediate destruction of all test subjects; permanent sealing of the Ark Core
Attached were extensive datasets and blueprints—the Harvesters were the very demons that had destroyed the Demon-Suppressing Sect.
The final entry was handwritten:
"Lin Xuan illicitly activated the Ark Core in an attempt to control the Harvesters. Failure. Core destabilized; all test subjects lost control. Advisory to successors: never attempt to command power beyond one's own tier. —Recorded by: Chu Yuntian, Seventh Seat of the Ark Laboratory."
Chu Yuntian.
A name that appeared in Ghost Organization intelligence—the Doctor's true name.
So the Doctor was one of the Ark Laboratory's survivors.
And he had concealed a crucial truth: the demons were not natural enemies, but bio-weapons created by the Ark Laboratory—whose loss of control led to the sect's destruction.
Now, the Doctor sought the Ark Core again. To regain control of the Harvesters?
Or for some other purpose?
"These data…" Honeycomb's face darkened as he finished reading. "The Doctor never told us the Harvesters were laboratory-made."
"Because he needed you to find the core," Lu Chen said. "What he planned to do with it afterward—control the Harvesters or something worse—you were never meant to know."
Ah Hu clenched his teeth. "So we were used?"
"Mutually," Lu Chen shut down the computer and withdrew the plate. "You have the data. Our deal is done. From here on, we go our separate ways."
Honeycomb studied him. "Aren't you afraid we'll report your whereabouts to the Association or the Chen family?"
"You won't," Lu Chen replied. "Because you need to hide as well. If the Doctor learns you've seen these secrets, he may silence you."
Honeycomb fell silent.
Indeed—the Ghost Organization tolerated no betrayal.
"We need time to process this," Honeycomb finally said. "Lin Xiao… this cooperation was productive. Let's hope our next meeting isn't as enemies."
"Let's hope."
They parted ways.
Honeycomb and Ah Hu headed east. Lu Chen went west.
Night had fallen as he stepped out of the hut.
He looked up at the stars. Among those distant lights, was there a vessel called Ark still watching this world?
He did not know.
But he knew he had been drawn into a game spanning a thousand years.
The Demon-Suppressing Sect. The Ark Laboratory. The Harvesters. The Doctor. The Association. The Chen family.
And the stele in his grasp might be the only key to breaking the board.
"Little Stele," he asked within his mind, "can you sense other objects from beyond this world?"
"Yes… Master," the voice was clearer now. "Within one hundred kilometers… three faint fluctuations… one of them… in the direction of Jiang City… very strong…"
Jiang City.
Another fragment of the Extraterrestrial Codex?
Or part of the Ark Core itself?
Lu Chen clenched his fist.
Then he would return.
Stir the waters of Jiang City into chaos—
and make those who sought his death pay the price.