Lin Tian paused before the Wolf Emperor's Hall, torchlight casting flickering shadows across his face, his golden eyes gleaming like stars. The stone gate's wolf runes pulsed faintly in the gloom, radiating an ancient pressure, a primal roar stirring in their depths. His Heavenly Mandate Pendant warmed against his chest, humming in sync with the hall's aura, a rhythmic pulse like a living heart. Su Xueyao stood beside him, her claws twitching, lips curling in a teasing smirk: "Don't let this door make your knees buckle, human."
Lin Tian flashed a grin, fists clenching, his voice light but edged: "Xueyao, you're the one shaking." He drew a deep breath, hands pressing against the gate, its thunderous groan echoing through the stone chamber as icy air rushed out, thick with the stench of blood and decay, sharp as a blade on his skin.
Inside, cracked flagstones bore dark, crusted stains, walls etched with vivid murals of wolf clan warriors locked in eternal combat with vampires, their blades glinting in the torchlight's dance, a silent saga of millennia-old grudges. A colossal Wolf Emperor statue loomed at the hall's heart, its blue eyes blazing with otherworldly light, as if weighing the bloodline of the two who dared enter. The Heavenly Mandate System's cold, metallic voice chimed in his mind:
[Task: Pass the Wolf Emperor's Trial, activate Heavenly Wolf Bloodline Core. Reward: Heavenly Wolf Bloodline Awakening Progress +15%, Wolf Emperor Secret Technique 'Void-Splitting Slash,' Memory Fragment: Lin Wanqing's Secret, 6000 EXP]
Void-Splitting Slash? Lin Tian's pulse quickened, the System's rewards igniting a fire in his chest. He stepped forward, the floor trembling beneath his boots, the statue's blue light surging, a chilling killing intent thickening the air, pricking his skin like needles.
"Watch out!" Su Xueyao hissed, her Wolf Spirit Sense catching a ripple in the shadows, her voice sharp with urgency. Nine bloodshades erupted from cracks in the stone, their crimson eyes glowing like smoldering coals, bloodblades flashing with lethal precision, their movements swift and ghostly, a tide of malice surging toward them.
[Warning: Bloodshade Assassins, Mortal Level 9, Quantity: 9. Abilities: Shadow Instant Kill, Blood Venom Erosion. Recommendation: Trigger hall mechanisms, disrupt formation.]
Lin Tian roared, unleashing Wolf Emperor's Intimidation, sonic waves rippling like a gale, staggering the shades, their forms flickering in the torchlight. Su Xueyao blurred into a streak of blue light, claws shredding three assassins, blood mist bursting in a scarlet haze, the acrid stench filling the air. Lin Tian struck with Heavenly Wolf Fist, fist winds howling like a storm, smashing two shades, their bodies crumpling as a pillar cracked under the force, sparks showering the stone.
[Eliminated Bloodshade Assassins x5, gained 10000 EXP]
A sixth shade dissolved into black mist, its blade arcing toward Lin Tian's spine, a glint of death in the firelight. The System's prompt flashed:
[Wolf Spirit Sense: Attack trajectory locked. Recommendation: Trigger mechanism, counterstrike.]
Lin Tian spun, his fist slamming into the shade's chest, bones snapping with a sickening crunch, its wail echoing. He kicked a flagstone, pillars spewing flames that engulfed two shades, their screeches piercing as fire consumed them, smoke stinging his eyes. Su Xueyao's claws danced, ending the final two, blood mist swirling like a storm, painting the floor crimson.
[Eliminated Bloodshade Assassins x4, gained 8000 EXP. Current Level: Mortal Level 10 Peak]
Lin Tian panted, sweat dripping down his brow, the hall's blood-scent choking his lungs, torchlight casting jagged shadows. Su Xueyao sheathed her claws, eyes gleaming with approval, a faint smile softening her features: "Not bad, human." Her voice was teasing, the firelight tracing the curve of her cheek, her presence a quiet anchor.
"Only because my partner's a master," Lin Tian quipped, his gaze lingering, heart racing unbidden. She huffed, cheeks flushing, turning away: "Save the flattery. The trial's just begun."
The statue quaked, the floor splitting with a deafening crack, an altar rising from the stone, ten blood-flame lanterns flickering ominously, their light casting shadows of the Wolf Emperor's heroic form across the murals, his silhouette fierce and unyielding. A blood array's runes slithered across the altar like living serpents, sealing the exits, their crimson glow pulsing like a heartbeat. Lin Tian's pendant tore free, soaring to the altar's slot, embedding with a resonant click, blue light flooding the hall, the mural's Wolf Emperor seeming to roar to life, its voice shaking the stone.
[Task Updated: Break the blood array, enter Wolf Emperor's Secret Realm. Reward: 7000 EXP, Wolf Clan Affinity +25]
A Wolf Emperor phantom materialized, its aura crushing, a mountain of power pressing against their chests, its voice booming like thunder: "Heir, prove your bloodline!" It slashed with spectral claws, bloodlight coalescing into fifteen bloodwolves, their fangs gleaming, auras surging like a tidal wave, the floor cracking as they charged, their howls chilling the air.
Lin Tian unleashed Void-Splitting Slash, fist winds slicing through five wolves, stone shards flying as the floor buckled, dust rising in clouds. Su Xueyao's claws flashed, cutting down four, their synergy seamless, gold and blue light weaving like a wolf pack hunting in unison. Hall mechanisms roared to life, walls sliding open with a grinding screech, crossbows firing bolts that pierced three wolves, sparks showering the stone. Lin Tian dodged a volley, his fist smashing the floor, triggering flames that roared upward, incinerating the remaining wolves, the air scorching his skin, heat pressing against his face.
[Eliminated Bloodwolves x15, gained 12000 EXP]
The blood array shattered, a shockwave rippling through the hall, the altar splitting to reveal stone stairs descending into a secret realm, faint light pulsing from below, carrying a mysterious allure. Blue light flooded Lin Tian's mind, a vision unfolding: Lin Wanqing, wielding the Heavenly Wolf Blade, stood alone against a vampire army, her eyes blazing with resolve and sorrow, blood soaking her armor, her stance unyielding despite the overwhelming odds.
[Obtained: Memory Fragment. Truth: Lin Wanqing sealed her bloodline in the Blood Moon Forbidden Zone to thwart the Blood Emperor's revival.]
"Mother…" Lin Tian dropped to his knees, tears streaming, fists pounding the stone, cracks spiderwebbing outward, his chest heaving with grief. Su Xueyao knelt beside him, her hand gentle on his shoulder, voice soft: "She's the wolf clan's pride, Lin Tian. You'll carry her hope."
He looked up, defiance burning through his tears, voice low and resolute: "I will—for her, and for you." He rose, her touch a quiet anchor, their gazes locking in a silent vow, the weight of their shared purpose settling between them. The stairs beckoned, their depths shimmering with faint light, new trials awaiting in the shadows below, the air heavy with the promise of danger.