The air cracked like bone beneath pressure as Li Xuan stepped into the tomb's maw. A deathly wind howled from deep within, whispering madness to all who dared enter.
"System," he muttered as darkness swallowed the last of the light behind him.
—You've entered a forbidden domain: Tomb of the Thousand Hell Gates—
Mission: Survive all 5 levels. Bonus rewards based on kill count, survival style, and brutality.
Warning: Death rate—92.7%.
"Perfect odds," Li Xuan said coldly.
Level One: The Butcher's Hall
The moment his foot touched the floor, the walls screamed. Rotten corpses impaled on rusted pikes grinned down at him. Chains clattered, then surged from the ceiling like snakes. Li Xuan leapt back, sweeping a cold blade from his ring.
A dozen corpse puppets dropped from the ceiling.
They were fast.
Too fast for a first level.
He moved through them like a storm. No wasted motion. Elbows shattered skulls, knees broke ribs, and his fist ripped one clean in half. Black blood sprayed as the system chimed:
—+3 Corpse Kill Points. Brutality Bonus: Active—
A pair of claws slashed his side—too shallow.
He twisted, snapping the puppet's neck with a shoulder thrust. Then, silence.
Level One cleared.
But his breathing had already slowed, his eyes glowing faint red.
And behind him, the corpses… turned to ash.
Level Two: Pit of Wailing Sins
The air turned thick and wet. The floor was no longer stone—it was meat. Pulsing. Alive. Screams echoed from the walls, and the scent of blood turned metallic.
He stepped forward. The moment his foot sank in, the pit awakened.
A shadow rose—twelve feet tall, bloated, stitched together from the flesh of cultivators. Weapons—real ones—were grafted into its arms. Twin sabers. Axe heads. Blades fused to bone.
It roared.
Li Xuan did not flinch.
He vanished in a blink—close combat activated.
His fist slammed into its gut with a sonic boom. The thing bent—then backhanded him across the room. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
The death aura surged.
The monster stopped mid-charge. It shuddered.
"Scared?" Li Xuan smiled. "You should be."
He used no technique. No qi. Just raw, bone-breaking strength. He caught the creature's incoming punch, shattered its wrist, then headbutted it with full force.
Skull met skull.
The monster screamed—and dropped like meat.
—+1 Demon Construct Kill. Close Combat Bonus Activated. Reward Stored—
The floor absorbed its body. The room pulsed… satisfied.
Level Three: The Mirror of the Dead
This room was silent.
Glass-like mirrors surrounded him—each reflecting a version of himself. Some were younger. Others older. One had red eyes leaking blood.
Another… had no soul in its gaze.
Then they moved.
Twelve Li Xuans stepped from the glass, each carrying a weapon from his past.
System:
—Mental trial engaged. Do not lose focus. These are projections of your worst truths—
He moved forward, cracking his knuckles. "Let's find out who I really am."
The first Li Xuan rushed him—sword high.
Dead.
One punch collapsed his chest.
The second had chains and fire. He ducked beneath the swing and ripped its spine through the chest.
By the fifth, he was laughing.
None of them could copy what made him real.
He was ruthless. Focused. Cold.
And as the last mirror shattered, the real Li Xuan stood alone—his blood dripping, but victorious.
—+12 Soul Echo Kills. Willpower Bonus Achieved. System Evaluation: Ruthless Sovereign—
Level Four: Valley of Black Teeth
A wide open cave spread before him—teeth, bones, and corpses for miles.
A single enemy waited at the center.
It looked… human. But wasn't.
Eyes sewn shut. Skin white as snow. It moved like a whisper, gliding through the bones.
Li Xuan advanced, his aura fully unleashed.
That's when everything around him reacted.
Bones rattled. Ghosts screamed.
He didn't flinch.
When the creature attacked, he felt it—an upper-realm pressure in the blink of an eye.
System:
—This enemy is one minor realm above. Suggestion: Use terrain—
He ignored it.
He dodged to the side, parried a clawed hand with his wrist, then drove a dagger up through its ribcage.
It didn't stop.
He laughed.
He fought like a demon—no mercy, no hesitation. He bit into the creature's shoulder when it tried to disarm him, then crushed its skull with a two-handed slam against a boulder.
Silence.
Death aura so thick now the bones whimpered.
The valley was his.
—+1 Ancient Wraith Kill. Cross-Realm Kill Confirmed. Legendary Kill Bonus Activated—
Level Five: The Heart Furnace
At the center of the tomb stood a massive black heart, chained to the walls with glowing runes. It beat once every ten seconds—and with each beat, the entire tomb trembled.
Around it circled five armored figures—tomb guardians. Cultivation realm equal to his.
"They don't fear me?" he whispered.
Then smiled. "Let's change that."
He struck first. No qi techniques. Close combat only.
His elbow crushed the nearest's visor, then he spun low, sweeping another into the chains. Sparks and blood flew as he moved like a predator among prey.
Every punch cracked armor.
Every block sent tremors.
Death aura spiraled outward in waves. The final guardian tried to flee.
Li Xuan caught him from behind—and broke his neck with a single twist.
—+5 Guardian Kills. Tomb Cleared—
The heart beat one final time—and shattered.
From its ashes rose a glowing crystal. The system flared.
—Mission Complete. Reward: [God's Eye Fragment], Cultivation Boost: Minor, Ability: Soul Sight Unlocked—
He felt power flood him. But it was earned—not handed.
Li Xuan turned and walked out of the tomb, his cloak torn, his hands stained, his aura thick with death.
And outside, the world shivered—sensing something monstrous had awakened inside.