The night passed uneventfully, though the storm continued to rage with ferocity. Jin Long sat cross-legged atop the broken altar, his body fully immersed in the strange new energy that coursed through him. His breath was steady, though his mind raced. The Genesis Core had granted him unimaginable power, but he still didn't understand it fully. The visions, the alien data streams, the technique blueprints—it was like trying to read a book in a foreign language with no guide.
"Focus," he muttered to himself.
The Core pulsed within his chest, sending waves of strange energy through his body. His cultivation base had skyrocketed—he could feel the power surging through his meridians, but it wasn't the same as traditional Qi. It was a fusion of something both ancient and futuristic.
Jin Long closed his eyes and concentrated on the system.
> "Techno-Dao established. Activating Void Beast imprint."
Suddenly, his dantian flared with an unnatural warmth. His senses sharpened to a razor's edge, and his vision expanded, scanning the terrain like a predator searching for its next meal.
> "Warning: Void Beast bloodline activated. Syncing with host… Host's body reaching threshold."
Jin Long's breath hitched. He could feel something—something primal—awakening deep inside him. His hand gripped the energy sword tightly, his knuckles turning white. His heart thudded in his chest, but it wasn't just the Core—it was the awakening of something far more ancient.
A monstrous roar echoed through the mountains, shaking the earth beneath his feet.
Before he could react, the ground cracked open, and a massive figure emerged—an enormous, armored beast with eyes that gleamed like molten stars. It was over ten meters tall, its body covered in obsidian-like scales, a fusion of both beast and machine. Its tail flicked the air like a whip of destruction, and its claws dug into the earth as it roared again.
A Void Beast.
The same creatures that once served the ancient Skyfire Clan as protectors had now returned, drawn by the energy released by the Genesis Core. But this… this was different. The creature was fully awakened, and its presence was suffocating, like a cosmic storm waiting to explode.
Jin Long's eyes widened.
"Is this… mine?" he asked aloud, voice barely a whisper.
> "Void Beast synchronization complete. Host's bond with the creature has formed."
The beast turned its head toward him, its golden eyes locking with his. It studied him with a sense of recognition, as if it had always known its true master had returned. The bond between them was instant—an unspoken connection, primal and ancient, running through their veins.
Jin Long took a slow step forward, his voice steady. "I am your master. You are my ally."
The Void Beast growled low, as if in approval, before lowering its massive head to the ground in submission.
> "Void Beast summoned. Companion: Tempest's Wrath."
The air around them crackled with raw energy as the storm above intensified, responding to the power of the Void Beast. The storm seemed to bow in deference to the creature's presence.
Jin Long felt a strange pull deep in his soul. This was the beginning of something far greater than revenge. This was the path of ascension—one that would lead him to places he couldn't yet fathom.
With his newfound companion, Tempest's Wrath, he would no longer be a wandering survivor. He would rise to destroy the sects that had once held power over him and the world. He would reclaim the legacy of the Skyfire Clan and ascend to heights unimaginable.
But first…
> "Warning: Host detected multiple hostile entities approaching. Immediate action required."
Jin Long turned to the horizon. A fleet of ships, sleek and deadly, were descending from the clouds. The Obsidian Void Sect had not given up. They were coming for him.
His hand tightened around the hilt of his energy sword.
Tempest's Wrath roared, the sound like thunder itself. The battle had begun.