Golden script ignited around Lin Xuan, the air crackling with raw energy. The moment he had laid hands on the Forbidden Record, the very fabric of the Misty Abyss had shifted. The ground trembled beneath his feet as an oppressive aura descended upon him, pressing down like an iron mountain.

A deep growl echoed from the depths of the temple. The spectral flames on the braziers lining the chamber flickered violently, casting erratic shadows along the stone walls. The mist coiled around a massive figure, its silhouette looming larger with every second.

Lin Xuan’s heart pounded as the guardian of the Forbidden Record fully revealed itself—a towering warrior clad in obsidian armor, its form wreathed in chains inscribed with ancient runes. Its eyes burned with a golden radiance, void of emotion yet filled with judgment.

“Intruder…” The voice reverberated through the chamber, more like a decree than mere speech. “You seek knowledge beyond your station. Prove your worth or be erased.”

With a deafening roar, the guardian lunged forward, its colossal blade slicing through the air like a falling star.

Lin Xuan barely had time to react. His body moved on instinct, his footwork weaving between the guardian’s strikes. The sheer force of its attack carved deep trenches into the temple floor, sending stone fragments flying.

The Heavenly Script pulsed within him, golden characters floating around his arms like living entities. Channeling his essence, he activated Starfire Steps, his body flickering like a meteor to evade the next deadly arc of the guardian’s blade.

Boom!

A violent shockwave erupted as the blade crashed into the ground, sending tremors throughout the temple. Lin Xuan spun midair, thrusting his palm forward. Heavenly Seal Art—Second Seal: Binding Chains!

Golden chains materialized, wrapping around the guardian’s sword arm, momentarily halting its movements. But it was short-lived. With a single wrench of its arm, the chains shattered like brittle glass, their divine glow extinguished.

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Lin Xuan’s eyes narrowed. Too strong!

The guardian charged again, its movements faster than before. Lin Xuan was forced back, each of his counterattacks barely slowing the relentless onslaught. His breathing grew heavier, his mind racing for a solution.

Then he saw it.

Beneath the guardian’s feet, the inscriptions pulsed with an identical glow to the Forbidden Record’s cover. A pattern. A connection.

Lin Xuan dodged another strike, rolling across the stone floor before channeling his Heavenly Script Vision. In an instant, the intricate formation beneath the guardian’s stance became clear—its energy source was tied to the temple itself.

A bold idea formed in his mind.

“If I can sever that connection…”

He reversed his footwork, baiting the guardian into a downward slash. As the blade descended, Lin Xuan unleashed Heavenly Seal Art—Third Seal: Reverse Flow!

A vortex of golden energy erupted beneath him, disrupting the inscriptions on the ground. The guardian faltered for the briefest moment.

That was all he needed.

Summoning his full strength, Lin Xuan launched forward, his palm striking the core of the formation. Golden script erupted from his fingertips, rewriting the flow of energy.

A deafening crack resounded as the guardian’s body froze. The inscriptions beneath it shattered like glass, severing its link to the temple’s power.

The golden light in its eyes flickered… then dimmed.

With a final, shuddering breath, the guardian collapsed to one knee, its massive form dissolving into streams of golden mist. The temple trembled once more, but this time, it was different—

Not in warning.

But in recognition.

The Forbidden Record floated before Lin Xuan, now fully unsealed.

His trial was complete.

Panting heavily, he reached out and grasped the ancient tome. The moment his fingers touched its cover, the golden script flowed into his body like a rushing river, intertwining with the Heavenly Script he already possessed.

A flood of knowledge surged into his mind.

His pupils dilated. This was… far beyond anything he had ever imagined.

The secrets of the Misty Abyss, the lost techniques of an ancient civilization, and a revelation that shook the very foundation of cultivation itself.

Lin Xuan exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around the tome.

The Misty Abyss had given him far more than he had anticipated.

And with it, the path ahead had become even more perilous.

To be continued…