In the boundless darkness, Lin Chen's consciousness seemed to sink into an ocean of nothingness.
It was as if he were trapped in a thick, suffocating swamp of pitch-black tar—each thought dragging him deeper into the abyss.
The only thing he could still feel was helplessness… and an unwillingness to let go.
The faint flame within his soul flickered weakly, dimming into an illusory shadow on the verge of being snuffed out.
Just before his awareness completely faded, a foreign sound echoed through the void—something that didn't belong there.
Ding!
Jade Turtle Pendant Experience +1!
...
In the real world, Lin Chen's cold body slowly began to warm up again.
The Turtle's breath within him stirred, flowing through his spiritual veins.
A faint glow flickered in the room, coming from the spirit stone clutched in Lin Chen's hand.
Little by little, the Turtle's energy nourished his body and began to push back against the corrosive qi from the sword energy.
At first, the Turtle's breath seemed weaker, but gradually its waves grew stronger, pressing down the sword qi that had been poisoning him.
Having been on the brink of death, Lin Chen's condition started to stabilize, and his consciousness slowly returned.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw wasn't the ceiling of his home—but a transparent notification window hovering in midair.
[Jade Turtle Pendant: Level 7 → Level 8]
As he tried to sit up, fine grains of dust fell from between his fingers—remnants of the spirit stone's energy, now completely drained.
At first, he was confused about how he had survived, but soon realization dawned on him.
It turned out that the spirit stone had once been the remains of an immensely powerful turtle, which, over the span of millions of years, had transformed into a vein of spirit ore.
As a result, a lingering trace of its origin within the stone was drawn into the jade pendant.
...
Just as Lin Chen was about to calm himself after the battle, a sudden knock came from outside the formation.
He stiffened immediately; his heartbeat quickened.
"Damn it… what now!?" he muttered nervously.
He feared the killing that had just taken place would cause trouble.
Although the city's rules allowed residents to fight back against intruders, that didn't make him feel any safer.
After all, his relationship with the city guards wasn't exactly good—if he slipped up, they'd surely use this against him.
Realizing this, Lin Chen hurriedly got up to tidy the place. But as soon as he stood, his legs gave out—his body had no strength left after such a fierce battle.
Still, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going.
After a few minutes of clumsy cleaning and a quick change of clothes, Lin Chen finally felt presentable enough to meet whoever was outside.
Knock!
Knock!
The knocking grew more impatient.
Lin Chen frowned in irritation, ready to scold whoever it was—until his expression froze.
"Eh? Sister Liu Ruyan? What brings you here so late at night?"
Liu Ruyan, looking worried, spoke immediately.
"Are you alright? I heard some kind of commotion from your house earlier."
"Ah, it's nothing, Sis. I was just… practicing a bit," Lin Chen replied with a nervous smile.
Liu Ruyan clearly didn't believe him, but since he looked unharmed, she decided not to press further.
"If that's the case, get some rest. If anything happens, call me."
"Alright, Sister. Thank you for your concern," Lin Chen said sincerely.
Liu Ruyan nodded, still looking uneasy, before turning to leave.
"Just what happened in there…" she whispered softly as she walked away.
Lin Chen exhaled in relief.
He knew the noise earlier must have been heard by the neighbors too, but only Liu Ruyan had come to check on him.
A warmth spread through his chest.
"I'll have to repay Sister Liu Ruyan's kindness one day," he murmured quietly.
...
Once back inside, Lin Chen reactivated the defensive array, sealing the place tight.
Only then did he finally get a good look at the corpse before him.
"Damn it… it's this guy!" he cursed.
He had been careful—extremely careful—yet he was still targeted.
"From now on, I'll have to be even more cautious."
As he bent down to pack the body away, a wave of nausea hit him. He rushed to the corner and vomited violently.
After a while, he wiped his mouth, a bitter clarity flashing in his eyes.
He realized it—he had just killed someone.
Xing Que deserved it, but the blood on his hands still felt unbearably heavy.
"In this world… I can't afford to be soft anymore," he whispered hoarsely.
Regret wouldn't keep him alive.
...
Lin Chen searched the corpse and found a storage pouch.
But when he tried to open it, a sealing formation blocked him.
He tried several methods, but none worked.
"There's got to be a locksmith somewhere in this world…" he muttered, frustrated.
Then, an idea struck him. His eyes lit up as he remembered the axe that had saved his life.
He gripped the weapon tightly, channeling what little qi he had left into his palm.
Swoosh!
A sharp wave of energy shot out from the axe blade, striking the pouch.
Crack!
A faint sound of shattering echoed—the sealing formation broke.
"Ahahaha! I knew it would work!" he laughed triumphantly.
Even without direct contact, the axe's sharp qi vibration was enough to damage the seal.
Satisfied, Lin Chen grinned. The axe had proven itself once again.
...
After cleaning up, he examined the contents of the pouch.
There were a few trinkets and a small Beast-Taming Manual—nothing special.
But when his hand brushed against a pair of tiny cages, another notification appeared.
Ding!
[Item: Twin Bird Cages]
Description: A pair of cages that can expand or shrink at will. Useful for communicating with small birds.
[Resonance: 1]
"Resonance? What's that?" he muttered curiously.
When he focused on the word, a stream of information flooded into his mind.
"Oh… so this is what it feels like! I can read an artifact's memories! Incredible!"
Apparently, the "Resonance" had triggered after he killed Xing Que—though he wasn't sure why.
Its effect allowed Lin Chen to access and understand the memories stored within artifacts.
Eager to test it, he used Resonance on the bird cage.
Instantly, his consciousness drifted out of his body, merging with the artifact.
"Whoa… so this is what it feels like to be one of those ghosts from horror movies," he joked.
Flashes of Xing Que's memories passed through his mind.
"Heh, this thing's amazing," Lin Chen said with a grin.
...
A few days later, Lin Chen used his new ability to capture sparrows.
He built a trap out of branched sticks coated in sticky resin and hid nearby, waiting patiently.
After what felt like forever, a sparrow finally landed.
"Heh, finally…"
The moment he was sure the bird was stuck, Lin Chen jumped out of hiding.
"Hahaha! Got it!"
He carefully placed the bird into a small container, smiling with satisfaction.
"Now I don't have to buy sparrows from the market anymore. It's safer this way—no one will suspect a thing."
...
Days passed. Lin Chen quickly grew skilled at controlling sparrows with the Twin Bird Cages.
Whether due to Resonance or his mysterious system, he could even control more birds than Xing Que ever did.
"Could this be the effect of Resonance? It feels like I understand this artifact better than its original owner…" he mused, frowning slightly.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Well, as long as it works, that's what matters."
He continued to train until nightfall, the lantern light dancing across his determined face.
...
A week later, morning came cold and misty at the outskirts of Jade Market City.
But Lin Chen had been up since dawn.
As he passed by the fields, he saw farmers frantically trying to drive away a swarm of locusts.
The sight made his scalp tingle.
Then, a sudden idea struck him.
"Hey there, fellow Taoist—need some help?" he asked politely.
The farmer scowled.
"I don't need your help! Go away!"
Lin Chen remained calm.
"Relax, I really just want to help. If my plan fails, I'll take full responsibility for any losses you suffer."
The farmer frowned, still doubtful. But as the locusts grew thicker and harder to handle, desperation crept in.
"Fine. But if you're just here to mess around, you'll regret it!"
Lin Chen grinned widely.
"Deal, my friend! I promise!"
He stepped forward and began to chant softly.
Spiritual energy swirled around him, rippling faintly through the air.
The nearby farmers turned to look, curiosity flickering in their eyes, wondering what this strange young man was about to do.
Swoosh!