Chronicles of the Forgotten Immortal

Jiang Chen sat cross-legged beside the dying campfire, the Spirit Tempering Pill resting in the palm of his hand.

The night air was cold, the scent of burning wood and blood lingering around him. The bodies of the Black Fang Bandits lay still, their lifeless eyes reflecting the faint glow of the embers. The forest, once filled with the sounds of their crude laughter, had returned to an eerie silence.

Yet Jiang Chen wasn't thinking about the dead.

His focus was entirely on the pill.

"A Spirit Tempering Pill… something that most Qi Refinement cultivators can only dream of."

This pill was meant to strengthen Qi flow, refine meridians, and push cultivators toward their next breakthrough. It was not a simple boost—it was a rare treasure that could cut months of cultivation down to mere hours.

And Jiang Chen needed it now.

His fight with the Core Formation Peak bandit leader had pushed his body to the limit. Even worse, the assassin from earlier had nearly forced him into retreat.

"My strength is still too low."

Fighting one realm above was possible, but against truly skilled enemies, it wasn't enough.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen placed the pill between his lips and swallowed.

The moment it slid down his throat—

BOOM!

A torrent of energy exploded inside him!

Jiang Chen's entire body shuddered, his meridians surging with raw Qi. His veins felt like rivers of molten fire, the Spirit Tempering Pill's medicinal power burning away impurities and expanding his Qi channels.

"The power… it's more intense than I expected!"

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he forcefully guided the Qi toward his dantian, cycling it through his meridians to absorb every last drop.

His bones creaked. His muscles trembled.

This was the harshest cultivation session he had ever experienced, but he endured it without hesitation.

Because on this path, pain meant progress.

One hour passed.

Two hours.

Then—

Jiang Chen's eyes snapped open.

A shockwave of Qi erupted from his body, the surrounding leaves rustling violently.

Within his dantian, his Qi had condensed further, forming a more stable and refined flow.

He clenched his fist, feeling the raw increase in strength.

"I've broken through!"

Jiang Chen had officially stepped into the 6th Layer of Qi Refinement!

His breathing steadied, his body feeling lighter, faster, and stronger.

The wounds from his battle were still healing, but his recovery rate had already increased.

Now, he could fight stronger enemies—and survive longer battles.

He exhaled slowly, standing up and glancing at the bodies around him.

"I can't stay here much longer. That assassin might return with reinforcements."

But before leaving, he took one last look at the bandits' spoils.

Spirit stones, low-grade weapons, and a few cultivation manuals.

Most were useless to him.

But then—he spotted something unusual.

A faded jade medallion with a strange emblem carved onto it.

Jiang Chen picked it up, his fingers tracing the symbol of a coiling serpent.

"This emblem… it doesn't belong to a simple bandit group."

A bad feeling settled in his chest. This was no ordinary loot.

"The assassin mentioned that the bandits were supposed to do the work for him. Was he working with them?"

Jiang Chen's expression darkened.

If an assassin organization was involved, then killing the bandits was only the beginning.

More enemies would come.

Which meant—he had to grow stronger, and fast.

He placed the medallion into his robes and turned away from the camp, his figure vanishing into the darkness.

A Kingdom in Turmoil

Jiang Chen wasn't the only one moving that night.

Far away, in the heart of the Azure Sun Kingdom, within a grand sect built atop a mountain range, a group of powerful cultivators sat in a dimly lit hall.

At the center sat a middle-aged man in golden robes, his aura like a raging fire.

His sharp eyes burned with anger as he listened to the report from a kneeling disciple.

"The Black Fang Bandits… were completely wiped out?"

The disciple swallowed nervously. "Yes, Sect Master Han. All ten members, including their leader, were slain."

The sect master's gaze turned cold.

"And the assassin?"

"...Failed."

A deathly silence filled the hall.

Then—

CRACK!

The sect master's hand shattered the armrest of his throne.

"A single Qi Refinement cultivator… destroyed an entire bandit group and survived against one of our assassins?" His voice was low and dangerous.

"Yes, Sect Master. But—there is something else."

The disciple hesitated, then produced a jade slip, presenting it with trembling hands.

The sect master flicked his fingers, and the jade slip floated into his grasp.

The moment he scanned it, his expression darkened.

The jade slip contained a drawing of Jiang Chen's face.

"A new variable has appeared," the sect master murmured. "A Qi Refinement cultivator… with strength beyond his level."

His burning gaze locked onto the disciple.

"Find him. I want to know everything about this Jiang Chen."

The disciple bowed deeply before vanishing into the shadows.

As the hall fell silent, the sect master's fingers tightened around the jade slip.

"Who are you, boy?"

"And why does fate seem to favor you?"

Jiang Chen's Next Move

As dawn broke over the mountains, Jiang Chen arrived at the outskirts of a bustling city—Azure Sun City.

The capital of the Azure Sun Kingdom.

A place where sect disciples, rogue cultivators, and noble families gathered.

"The real game starts here."

With his new strength, new enemies, and a dangerous secret in his hands, Jiang Chen stepped forward—ready for whatever came next.

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End of Chapter 7