LOST CULTIVATION METHODS

The sun never rose that morning.

Instead, grey clouds rolled over the forest like a burial shroud. Birds flew low. The scent of death clung to the leaves.

Jin stirred in the cave, breath slow, his shoulder tightly wrapped with herbs and bark. The talisman floated beside him, its golden glow now soft and stable.

But peace was a lie.

His rest was broken by a low, grinding sound like bone dragging against stone.

He stood quickly, grabbing his blade and the talisman. The forest outside had gone silent.

"System," Jin whispered. "Status?"

[Vitality: 48% — Wounds stabilized. Energy recovering.]

[Artifact: Ancient Seal — Stable. Residual tracking traces fading.]

[System Alert: Multiple hostile signatures approaching. Source: Necrotic Beasts.]

Jin's jaw tightened. "How did he still find me?"

[Residual imprint lingered on your blood. The necromancer raised a beast horde with that link. They're tracking the rot in your wounds.]

Outside, the trees groaned.

Then he heard them.

Dozens maybe hundreds of footsteps. Not human. Not natural.

Jin stepped out of the cave and saw them: malformed corpses of old cultivators, stitched together with dark tendrils, dragging broken weapons and rotting armor. Undead beasts with glowing ribs and missing eyes moved among them.

"Bone Legion," he muttered.

A black-robed figure floated far above them. The necromancer. Watching. Smiling.

Jin turned and ran not toward Valeria.

No.

If they followed his blood, going home now would destroy everyone.

He sprinted deeper into the forest, leading them away.

Hours Later…

Jin panted, collapsed beside a stream. Blood seeped from reopened wounds. His legs barely worked.

Yet still, the army marched behind him.

"This… this won't work," he muttered, eyes dim.

[Emergency Suggestion: Unlock deeper potential of Cloak of the Hidden Realm. Conditions met for evolution.]

[New Skill Available: Void Slip — temporarily phase out of existence for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour. Caution: Extreme spiritual strain on first use.]

"Void Slip…" Jin reached inside and activated the cloak.

Dark mist wrapped around him like silk. His body shimmered.

He vanished.

The forest stood still.

The Bone Legion paused confused. Their noses and spells lost his scent. The necromancer frowned from above, gripping his staff.

But Jin had already slipped into the shadow between realms.

The moment he returned, his knees buckled. Blood trickled from his nose. His spirit flickered.

But he was alive.

He hid beneath thick roots and activated the cloak again, just enough to fade from sight. His hand clutched the talisman.

"System… tell me where this came from."

[Analyzing… Cross-referencing...]

[Origin: Pre-Demonic Era. Location Correlation Detected: Temple of the Sealed Eye — Ruins Nearby. Estimated distance: 12 km.]

Jin wiped the sweat from his face.

"I'm going there."

Night Fell. Again.

He limped until moonlight pierced the forest canopy — and there it was.

A broken stone path led to an overgrown temple built into a cliff. The carvings were alien eyes without pupils, swirling patterns, and dragons with sealed mouths.

Jin stepped through the threshold. The moment he entered, the talisman pulsed.

Ancient torches lit themselves.

A ghostly figure appeared a monk in tattered robes, blindfolded with golden cloth.

"You carry the curse of the sealed ones," the spirit said. "Few live after claiming that talisman. Fewer dare to understand it."

Jin bowed faintly. "I want to know the truth."

"Then open your mind."

The talisman rose between them, and golden light bathed the chamber.

Jin screamed not in pain, but in sheer pressure.

His mind was pulled into visions: A war of gods and demons. Sealed artifacts that bound the dead.

One talisman created not to destroy, but to unmake immortality.

When he awoke, the monk had vanished.

And the talisman's glow had changed. Not golden. Not red.

Now it shimmered with silver and blue a balance of death and freedom.

[New Classification: Seal of Soul Severance Bound Artifact]

[Effect: Grants immunity to soul-binding magic. Can be used to unbind others. Hidden effect: ???]

Jin exhaled.

He had a weapon that could sever the very curses his enemies used.

But his body was spent.

Meanwhile — Valeria

Lana stood upon the wall, her spear in hand. Her gaze never left the road leading east.

Arielle stood beside the shrine Jin built, her fingers red from clutching prayer beads too tightly.

Selene paced in silence, a storm behind her eyes. "It's been four days."

Lila arrived with blood on her armor. "The scouts are dead. Something's coming. I saw beasts... rotting ones."

Lana turned. "Raise the walls. Prepare the flames. If it's him… we hold."

Back in the Forest

Jin moved again.

Until pain dropped him to the ground.

He couldn't go any farther. Not without help.

"System," he grunted, eyes flickering. "Use the Blood Regrowth Technique… partially. Just enough."

[Warning: Blood Demon Skill may corrupt sanity. Use cautiously.]

"I know. Just do it."

A red mist enveloped him.

Bones cracked back into place. Flesh stitched rapidly. His eyes burned crimson for a moment, and whispers filled his ears rage, hunger, power.

But Jin clenched his fists and endured it.

He emerged, pale but standing.

Then, a flicker in the dark.

A blade rushed toward his throat — fast, silent.

He ducked. A second blade came — this one icy cold.

Two assassins stood before him, cloaked in silver. Their aura screamed high rank.

"Queen Molana sends her regards," one whispered.

Jin's eyes narrowed. "You think this is the right time?"

They attacked together.

But Jin wasn't the same as before.

He used Void Slip mid-strike, reappearing behind them, striking low.

One fell.

The other nicked his arm poison. Jin could feel it seeping in.

He summoned his dragon qi and burned it out.

"You're fast," the second assassin admitted. "But you're tired."

Jin just smiled. "That's never stopped me before."

They clashed again.

This time, Jin caught her blade with his bare hand and drove his fist into her stomach. Blood sprayed. She fell to her knees.

He stared down at her. "Tell Molana… if she wants to send someone after me, send an army next time."

Then he walked away.

Final Scene – Return

The gates of Valeria opened to a sky streaked with fire.

Torches lined the walls. Guards stood in full formation. The people had gathered, weapons in hand.

The Bone Legion approached from the west — hundreds of undead, the necromancer at their head.

Then, from the forest, a single figure walked.

Jin.

Burned cloak. Bloodstained robes. Eyes sharp.

Lana saw him first. Her spear fell from her hand.

Selene whispered, "He made it."

Arielle ran forward and embraced him before he even reached the gate.

"You idiot," she said. "You're late."

Jin chuckled weakly. "Had to pick up a souvenir."

The talisman floated beside him — silver-blue and humming with sealed power.

Then he turned to the wall.

"I'll rest later," he said. "Right now… we fight."

The necromancer saw him and snarled.

But this time, Jin wasn't prey.

He was the hunter.

And the legend of the Dragon Prince had only just begun.