Swallowed Star: Heavenbreaker

The Deep Vein had grown calmer since the Harbinger's destruction, but Lin Xuan knew the stillness was temporary. Each chain broken fed both the imprisoned entity's heartbeat and the Eternal Shadows' desperation.

Lin Xuan stood at the lip of the river of Primordial Qi, silver aura casting ripples of light across the cavern. The Codex hummed with restless energy, pointing him toward the surface — where the second seal's nexus awaited, bound to a ruin buried beneath the desolation of what was once a human city.

Four seals remain, Lin Xuan thought, his silver-lit eyes narrowing. Each will bring the Shadows closer to panic — and closer to unleashing their true strength.

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I. Preparing the Disciples

Zhang Wei, Mei Yan, and Luo Jin knelt before him, their silver-tinged auras brighter and more refined after days of cultivation.

"The second seal lies above, in the ruins of a city swallowed by the cataclysm," Lin Xuan said. "We will claim it. Along the way, you will face trials designed to kill you. Those who endure will rise; those who falter will be left behind."

Zhang Wei's jaw tightened. "We're ready."

Mei Yan adjusted the grip on her reforged blade, silver Qi pulsing faintly along its edge. "Whatever stands in our way, we'll cut down."

Luo Jin nodded, determination replacing the last vestiges of hesitation in his gaze. "We won't fail."

"See that you don't," Lin Xuan said, turning toward the tunnels that led upward. "Move."

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II. Field Trials

The world above was a wasteland of shattered concrete and skeletal skyscrapers, long since stripped of life. Wind howled through the ruins, carrying the distant stench of alien occupation.

Here, Lin Xuan set his disciples their first true field trials.

They hunted through the ruins, facing beasts twisted by Shadow corruption. Zhang Wei led with steady precision, each strike of his silver-tinged blade cutting cleanly through chitin and sinew. Mei Yan learned to weave her Qi into lethal bursts of speed, darting between foes in blurs of silver light. Luo Jin fought with brutal efficiency, his strikes carrying the weight of tempered resolve rather than blind desperation.

For each battle won, Lin Xuan increased the difficulty, leading them deeper into territory infested with hunter-killer packs. Pain and exhaustion became constant companions, but with each encounter, the disciples' silver auras grew sharper, their movements more honed.

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III. The Nexus Revealed

Three days into their hunt, Lin Xuan led them to a crater that had once been the heart of a great metropolis. At its center stood a ruin of twisted steel and scorched stone, dominated by a single obsidian spire — the second seal's nexus.

The air here pulsed with hostile energy, the runes etched into the spire's surface flaring in recognition of Lin Xuan's presence.

"…Closer… break… free…"

The imprisoned entity's whisper trembled in his mind, urgent and hungry.

"Stay alert," Lin Xuan said. "The Shadows will not leave this place unguarded."

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IV. The Beast Unleashed

Even as he spoke, the ground beneath them trembled. A fissure tore open in the crater floor, disgorging a nightmare-class war beast — a towering amalgam of chitin, metal, and writhing shadow, its many eyes blazing violet.

The beast roared, the sound a concussive wave that shattered nearby ruins.

"Zhang Wei, Mei Yan, Luo Jin," Lin Xuan commanded, silver aura flaring. "This is your trial. Hold the beast. Survive. I will claim the seal."

Without hesitation, the disciples launched themselves into battle, silver auras blazing. Zhang Wei met the creature's charge head-on, blade cleaving through one massive limb in a spray of ichor. Mei Yan darted between the beast's flailing appendages, her silver blade carving deep, precise cuts. Luo Jin hurled himself onto its back, driving his Qi-honed blade into the base of its neck.

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V. Sundering the Seal

While his disciples fought, Lin Xuan approached the obsidian spire. The runes flared in violent defiance, void energy lashing out. His silver aura devoured the hostile power, feeding it back into his own reserves.

Heavenbreaker Codex — Fourth Form: Severing Heaven.

Silver light condensed around his palm, then lashed out in a single decisive strike. The spire cracked, fissures racing across its surface before it shattered in an explosion of light.

Far below, another of the massive chains binding the entity fractured, the imprisoned heartbeat thundering with renewed strength.

"…Three chains undone… freedom nears…"

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VI. Triumph and Blood

Behind him, the beast shrieked, its many eyes dimming as its body collapsed. Zhang Wei stood over the corpse, silver aura flickering weakly, blood streaming from half a dozen wounds. Mei Yan leaned heavily on her blade, her breathing ragged but steady. Luo Jin collapsed to one knee, his armor cracked and slick with ichor.

Lin Xuan turned, silver-lit gaze sweeping over them. "You held. Barely. Next time, you will not have the luxury of my intervention."

Despite their exhaustion, pride flickered in their eyes. For the first time, they had held against a nightmare-class beast without direct aid.

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VII. The Shadows' Retaliation

The victory was short-lived. Above the ruins, the sky darkened, violet storm clouds coalescing in unnatural spirals.

"They know," Lin Xuan said quietly, silver aura flaring. "The destruction of this seal has not gone unnoticed. Prepare yourselves — the Shadows will retaliate."

Zhang Wei straightened, silver veins pulsing. "Then we face them."

Lin Xuan's lips curved in a thin smile. "Yes. And with each victory, we grow stronger."

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VIII. Return to the Vein

They returned to the Deep Vein, battered but alive. Lin Xuan stood once more before the bound entity, silver-lit eyes reflecting the growing cracks in its chains.

"…Three remain… each guarded by blades of shadow… when the last falls, we rise…"

No, Lin Xuan thought, silver aura flaring with quiet certainty. When the last falls, I will rise. You will beat at my command — or not at all.

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End of Chapter 14.