The searing pain coursing through Hua Lianxin’s body was beyond anything he could have imagined. His screams echoed like the roar of a feral beast, a raw mix of agony and rage that reverberated through the cavern. His muscles spasmed, his bones trembled, and it felt as if his very soul was being torn apart. And then—his body collapsed.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
In the void of unconsciousness, vivid memories flooded Hua Lianxin’s mind. They weren’t just recollections—they were wounds torn open, dripping with sorrow and rage. He saw his family again, the night they were taken from him. His father’s last desperate stand, bloodied hands grasping at enemies far beyond his reach. His mother’s fragile body shielding him with the ferocity of an unyielding love, even as fate betrayed her. His sister’s shattered dignity, stolen in the name of cruelty. And that final moment—his mother’s trembling hands locking him away in a wooden box as screams and flames engulfed their world. It was as if she had always known what would happen.
In that moment, something snapped within him. The grief twisted into fury, an all-consuming inferno that roared louder than the pain in his flesh. Hua Lianxin’s unconscious body began to tremble violently, his form emitting a dark, murderous aura. His skin shifted, claws threatening to emerge from his fingers as his blood surged with newfound power. His transformation into a demon had begun.
But then, amidst the darkness and chaos within his heart, a faint light appeared.
The faces of his family, radiant and serene, emerged from the void. Their voices, soft yet firm, called out to him.
"Lianxin... live a peaceful life."
"Don’t let revenge consume you, my son. The cycle of hatred is endless. Even gods are trapped by its web."
"Promise us. Promise you’ll find a path not for vengeance, but for justice."
Hua Lianxin’s rage faltered, the words piercing through the storm of emotions. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, "I promise. I will not walk the path of vengeance. I will save others, protect the innocent, and stop those who seek to destroy lives. And someday... we’ll share a meal again."
The thought of reincarnation brought a bittersweet smile to his lips, even as his demonic transformation began to recede. His body reverted to its human form, the monstrous features fading into his exhausted yet resolute face. He rose, his breathing shallow but steady. The cavern grew silent once more, save for the faint hum of his renewed spirit.
---
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Outside the cave, the world was not as quiet. The murderous aura Hua Lianxin had released did not go unnoticed. Cult members, dressed in their sinister robes, stormed toward the cave entrance. Their leader had sent them to investigate the fluctuations of power, sensing a threat. When they reached him, they found Hua Lianxin standing tall, his body radiating with a power that left them stunned.
Moments before, Hua Lianxin’s cultivation had surged uncontrollably—a double breakthrough unlike anything witnessed before. His energy had erupted from "Peak Nascent Soul" to "Soul King", breaking through stage after stage until he reached "Mid-Stage Saint Lord". The spiritual waves that emanated from him were oppressive, forcing the cult members to hesitate.
Slowly, Hua Lianxin opened his eyes. A sharp glare pierced through the cultists, and his voice cut through the air with chilling finality: "It’s my turn."
In a blur of unimaginable speed, he moved—his blade slicing through 25 Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators before they could react. The battlefield was painted with chaos and blood. Yet, before Hua Lianxin could catch his breath, the sky darkened. Thunderclouds gathered overhead, and the heavens themselves seemed to roar in fury.
From the swirling clouds, a booming voice resounded, shaking the earth beneath him.
"Hua Lianxin, you dare use forbidden methods to rise in power, slaughtering without remorse. Your sins shall be judged, and justice shall be delivered!"
The first heavenly thunderbolt struck without mercy. It seared through the air, colliding with Hua Lianxin’s body and forcing him to his knees. A second, more powerful strike followed, its destructive force doubling. With each bolt, the heavens seemed determined to obliterate him. Six consecutive strikes left him battered and bloodied, his body barely holding together.
But Hua Lianxin refused to fall.
He remembered his promise—his family’s plea to live, Lin Changsheng’s trust as she pushed him to safety. Summoning every last shred of strength, he stood, his body trembling but unyielding. He defied the seventh thunderbolt, shielding himself with sheer willpower, though it left him on the verge of collapse.
The eighth bolt came, and it was unlike any before it. As it struck, the pain was indescribable, but something extraordinary happened. The Demon Fruit’s latent power activated within him, awakening a profound transformation. His body began to repair itself, reforging into something beyond mortal comprehension.
His cultivation energy fused with his physical body, advancing him into "Body Transformation Level 3", a state so resilient that even the strongest attacks of an "Early-Stage Saint Lord" could not harm him. He rose, his injuries healed, his aura unshaken.
As the ninth, most catastrophic thunderbolt descended, Hua Lianxin stood unmoving. Without a single martial technique, he caught the thunderbolt with his bare hands. The energy surged into his body, and the "Demon Fruit" created a void-like space within him, allowing him to store and wield the power of the thunder itself.
He smiled grimly, muttering, "Come again, if you dare."
---
With his newfound strength and mastery over the "Heavenly Thunder", Hua Lianxin knew he could not waste time. The thought of Lin Changsheng in captivity gnawed at him. The cult’s forces were still overwhelming, especially with two Peak-Stage Saint Lords among them. But he had a plan.
The cult’s "Demon Monster", sealed by a blood magic formation, was his key. If he could unleash it, the chaos would give him a chance to rescue Lin Changsheng. But the risk was immense—if not done carefully, the demon might harm her as well.
Relying on his new "10 Thousand Movement Technique", Hua Lianxin approached the search party. Feigning weakness, he allowed himself to be captured, his injuries convincing them of his defeat. They brought him back to the cult’s cavern, unaware of the storm he was about to unleash.
And thus, the chapter ends.
