Chapter 22 – The Crown That Appeared
The forest near Yuelan City was quiet in a way that made every sound feel louder.
The wind brushed past the leaves, and the scent of damp soil mixed with the faint metallic smell of blood in the air. Lin Huang stood facing the Lunar Vein Fox, his breathing uneven, sweat sliding down his temples. The battle had already lasted far longer than he had expected.
The fox did not look weak.
Its silver-white fur was stained with streaks of red, and its chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. Yet its eyes remained sharp, filled with vigilance and intelligence. Faint streams of moonlight-like soul power flowed along the patterns on its body, pulsing in rhythm with its heartbeat.
Lin Huang tightened his grip on his weapon.
His soul power circulation was stable, but his muscles were beginning to ache. The spiritual pressure of a soul beast over two thousand years old was no joke. Even with the reinforcement from his meridians and the support of his tools and armor, he could feel the strain creeping into his bones.
He exhaled slowly.
'One more exchange… that's all I need.'
The Lunar Vein Fox took a step forward. Its movement was light, almost silent, but the pressure it released made the surrounding air feel heavier. Lin Huang could feel his instincts screaming at him to retreat.
But he didn't.
Instead, his first soul ring lit up.
A faint, almost imperceptible distortion rippled through the air around him. It wasn't a grand illusion, nor a dramatic visual change. It was subtle—so subtle that even Lin Huang himself could barely sense it.
The world seemed to tilt for a heartbeat.
The Lunar Vein Fox's gaze faltered.
Just for an instant, its perception slipped. The environment it sensed was no longer perfectly aligned with reality. That brief moment of hesitation—no longer than a blink—was enough.
Lin Huang moved.
His reinforced body surged forward, soul power roaring through his meridians. The weight of exhaustion vanished from his mind as the calming effect of his first soul ring stabilized his spiritual state. His thoughts became clear, sharp, and frighteningly focused.
He stepped into the fox's guard.
The strike landed cleanly.
The Lunar Vein Fox staggered backward, its body sliding across the forest floor. Its legs trembled as it tried to remain standing. For a moment, its eyes met Lin Huang's.
There was no hatred in them.
Only a quiet, resigned clarity.
The fox lowered its head.
Then its body collapsed.
The physical body of the Lunar Vein Fox remained intact, but the soul power within it surged violently. Wisps of pale light rose from its form, gathering above its corpse. The surrounding air trembled as the energy condensed, spinning and compressing.
A soul ring slowly took shape.
It was deep silver in color, tinged with faint traces of moonlight.
Lin Huang stood still, staring at it.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
This was it.
He sat down cross-legged before the newly formed soul ring. His breathing steadied as he activated his cultivation method. The second soul ring descended slowly, hovering before him for a brief moment before sinking into his body.
Pain exploded through his mind.
It was not the sharp, tearing pain of injury, but a deep, penetrating pressure that felt as though something was drilling into his skull and sinking into his bones. His vision blurred. His soul power surged out of control for a moment before being forcibly dragged back into order by his refined circulation technique.
In the depths of his spiritual sea, the faint silhouette of a fox appeared.
It was not hostile.
Its form was calm, its presence steady. There was no violent resentment, no furious struggle. Instead, the consciousness of the Lunar Vein Fox seemed to quietly observe him, as if acknowledging his existence.
Lin Huang clenched his teeth.
He guided the soul ring's energy, using his breathing and digestion techniques to dissolve the lingering impurities within the absorbed soul power. The process was slow, arduous, and agonizing—but it worked.
Minutes passed.
Then longer.
The pain in his mind slowly faded.
Just as he thought it was over, a new wave of sensation erupted from his head.
A burning pressure formed at his forehead and spread upward, as if something was forcing its way out from within his skull. Lin Huang let out a muffled groan as the sensation intensified.
Above his head, faint spiritual light gathered.
The outline of a crown-like projection took shape.
It was incomplete, its edges blurred and unstable, as if it had not fully solidified into reality. Yet its presence was undeniable. The air around Lin Huang shimmered faintly as the strange manifestation stabilized.
Lin Huang's vision swayed.
"W-What… is this…?"
He raised a trembling hand, but the crown-like projection remained intangible, made purely of condensed spiritual energy.
His mother froze.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the strange phenomenon above Lin Huang's head.
His father's expression stiffened, disbelief flashing across his face."This… this isn't normal," he muttered.
Even his grandfather's calm demeanor cracked.
"That shape…" he said slowly, his voice unusually heavy."It resembles… the manifestation of an external spirit bone."
The words hung in the air.
Lin Huang blinked, still disoriented."External… spirit bone?"
He had heard of spirit bones. He had heard of external spirit bones.
But seeing something like this appear on his own body felt unreal.
The crown-like light slowly faded, sinking back into his body. The burning sensation in his head subsided, leaving behind only a dull ache and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
Lin Huang slumped forward, panting.
Yet despite the fatigue, his eyes were bright.
He had succeeded.
After ensuring the surroundings were safe and that no other soul beasts were approaching, the group quickly left the forest. The deeper they moved away from the battlefield, the lighter Lin Huang felt, as if the pressure lingering in the air was finally lifting from his chest.
The forest gradually thinned.
Sunlight broke through the canopy, illuminating the path back toward the road.
As they reached the outskirts, Lin Huang let out a long breath.
"…Looks like I'll have to disguise myself again," he muttered with a tired sigh."Every time something big happens, I end up standing out even more."
His mother shot him a look."You'd better be grateful you're still in one piece."
His grandfather snorted softly."Trouble seems to like you."
Lin Huang chuckled weakly.
As the carriage came into view in the distance, his gaze drifted back toward the forest behind them. The faint echo of moonlight seemed to linger in the shadows between the trees.
He could feel it.
Something within him had changed.
But what, exactly, that change had brought him…
That would have to wait until later.