The grand hall of the Lin Clan shimmered beneath a hundred floating spirit lanterns, each fed by the lingering Qi of ancestors long turned to dust.
Crimson-and-gold banners hung from ancient pillars, embroidered with the clan's emblem—a phoenix coiled around a blazing sword.
Symbols of rebirth and glory.
Today, they felt like a joke.
Lin Feng knelt alone at the center of the marble floor.
His head remained bowed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, warm against his cold skin. The metallic taste lingered on his tongue.
So this is what seventeen years are worth, he thought calmly.
A single strike.
Around him, clan members watched in silence. Some avoided his gaze. A few looked almost sympathetic.
Most looked relieved.
"Lin Feng."
Elder Lin Tao's voice rang through the hall, sharp and unyielding.
"For seventeen years, the Lin Clan has fed you, clothed you, and wasted precious resources attempting to awaken your meridians. Yet you remain Bondless."
The elder's gaze hardened.
"A waste."
Snickers rippled through the crowd.
Lin Feng's fingers tightened against his knees. His nails dug into skin, grounding him. He said nothing.
He had learned long ago that words carried no weight here.
"Your engagement to Su Mei of the Zhao Clan," Elder Lin Tao continued, "was meant to secure an alliance."
Lin Feng's chest tightened, just slightly.
"But today," the elder said, voice rising, "Young Master Zhao Tian has successfully formed a Soul Bond with a Flame Tiger Cub at the age of sixteen. A true genius."
The words struck like a blade.
"The Zhao Clan has formally requested the dissolution of the engagement. We… agree."
Silence fell.
For a moment—a foolish, fleeting moment—Lin Feng wondered if she would hesitate.
Then a clear feminine voice rang out from the dais.
"I, Su Mei, hereby dissolve my engagement to Lin Feng."
Lin Feng slowly raised his head.
She stood there in ice-blue robes, hair flowing like moonlight down her back. As beautiful as ever.
But her eyes held no warmth.
Only calculation.
"From this day forward," she said calmly, "I have no connection to a Bondless waste."
The hall erupted in murmurs of approval.
The foolish thought vanished.
Of course, Lin Feng told himself quietly. Why would she?
Zhao Tian sat beside her, openly smirking. At his feet lounged a Flame Tiger Cub, its fur glowing faintly with inner fire. The beast's eyes locked onto Lin Feng—predatory, amused.
Lin Feng pushed himself to his feet. His legs trembled, but he stood straight.
"I understand," he said softly. "Thank you for the clarity."
The words tasted strange.
He had rehearsed anger a thousand times in his mind.
He had never rehearsed acceptance.
Elder Lin Tao frowned—he had expected begging, tears, outrage. Not this calm acceptance.
"You will leave the clan by dawn," the elder declared. "Take nothing but the clothes on your back. The Lin Clan no longer has room for useless branches."
As the assembly dispersed, no one approached Lin Feng.
Not his cousins who once borrowed his notes. Not the servants who once sneaked him extra meals. Only one person lingered in the shadows—a senior disciple named Mu Qianxue, her expression complicated.
But even she turned away when their eyes met.
Night fell. Lin Feng walked the familiar paths of the clan compound one last time.
He paused at his mother's memorial tablet in the ancestral hall. She had died giving birth to him, they said. Some whispered her final Soul Bond with a mythical beast had drained her life force entirely.
"I won't shame you anymore," he whispered to the tablet.
By midnight, he was gone—slipping out a side gate with only a worn storage ring containing a few spirit stones and a rusty dagger.
The clan trial grounds lay beyond the outer walls: the Abyss Rift, a forbidden chasm where wild Spirit Beasts roamed and failed disciples were sometimes "accidentally" lost during hunts.
Lin Feng headed there deliberately. If the clan wanted him gone, he would disappear completely. Better death in the rift than begging on the streets.
The rift's edge yawned like a wound in the earth, purple mist swirling below. Wind howled up from the depths, carrying faint beast roars.
He stepped forward—
A sharp pain exploded in his back. Someone had struck him from behind with concentrated Qi. He tumbled over the edge, body spinning into darkness.
As he fell, he caught a glimpse of three figures at the cliff top—clan enforcers sent by Zhao Tian, no doubt, to ensure the "waste" never returned.
Consciousness faded as he crashed through jagged rocks and thorny spirit vines. His body finally came to rest on a narrow ledge deep in the abyss, bones broken, blood pooling.
Death crept closer.
Then... a golden light bloomed in his mind.
[Ding! Detecting compatible host in critical condition.]
[Myriad Bond System activating...]
[Scanning bloodline... Anomalous fragment of the Great Severance detected.]
[Host: Lin Feng. Meridian Status: Severely crippled (repairable). Soul Strength: Exceptional.]
[Initialization complete. First bond opportunity detected nearby.]
Lin Feng's eyes snapped open. The system voice was mechanical yet somehow ancient, resonating in his soul rather than his ears.
Through blurred vision, he saw it—a small serpent no longer than his forearm, coiled weakly a few paces away.
Its scales shimmered crimson with flecks of gold, and two tiny crystal horns protruded from its head. An Emberhorn Viper, juvenile stage.
But this one was dying—deep gashes across its body oozed black poison.
Normally, forming a Soul Bond required perfect meridians, ritual arrays, and mutual resonance over days. Impossible for someone like him.
Yet the system prompted:
[Form emergency bond with Emberhorn Viper? This will partially repair host meridians and grant initial survival resources. Yes/No]
Lin Feng coughed blood. What did he have to lose?
"Yes."
A golden ritual circle materialized beneath them both, unbidden. Threads of light extended from Lin Feng's chest, piercing the viper's wounds.
The serpent's eyes—slitted amber—widened in shock. It hissed weakly, trying to slither away, but the light held it gently.
Pain lanced through Lin Feng's body as his crippled meridians began to knit. The viper thrashed once, then stilled as warmth flooded its injuries.
Minutes passed. Or hours. Time lost meaning.
Finally, the circle faded.
[First Soul Bond Formed!]
[Emberhorn Viper Loyalty: 100% (Life Debt Established)]
[Reward: Partial Meridian Reconstruction. Qi Gathering Realm - Stage 1 Achieved.]
[Beast Name: Unnamed (Host may designate)]
[Unique Trait Unlocked: Flame Essence Sharing - Host gains minor fire resistance.]
The viper—now healed—slithered slowly toward Lin Feng. It raised its head proudly, tongue flicking, then... gently coiled around his wrist like a living bracelet. Warmth spread from its scales, easing his remaining pain.
Lin Feng stared. For the first time in seventeen years, he felt Qi flowing through his body.
Weak, but real.
The viper's telepathic voice entered his mind—arrogant, youthful, and unmistakably proud.
Hmph.
This king supposes you are not entirely useless, human. You dared to save this king's life when all others would harvest my core. Very well—I, the last heir of the Crimson Inferno Lineage, shall deign to follow you... for now.
Despite everything, Lin Feng laughed. It hurt his ribs, but it felt good.
"Xiao Huo," he said softly, naming it Little Flame. "That's what I'll call you."
The viper huffed mentally (Such a crude name!) but didn't protest, tightening its coil affectionately.
Above them, far up the cliff face, voices echoed—his pursuers descending to confirm the kill.
Lin Feng's laughter faded. His eyes turned cold.
"Xiao Huo," he murmured, pushing himself upright with newfound strength. "Are you ready to hunt?"
The viper's horns glowed with inner fire.
This king has been ready since the moment you bound my soul, human. Let them come.
Golden system text flashed once more:
[Side Quest Unlocked: First Blood. Eliminate pursuers. Reward: Beast Evolution Path + Skill Point.]
Lin Feng stood at the edge of the ledge, Xiao Huo coiled on his arm like a living gauntlet of flame.
From this abyss, something new was rising.
And the Nine Realms would soon learn its name.