“You trapped us in here with you?” one of the Shadow Abyss Wolves spoke slowly, its voice low and guttural.
“Heh. Didn't see that coming, did you? You mad?” Lin Yuan replied with a look that practically begged to be punched.
Hearing this, the veins on the Shadow Abyss Wolf’s head bulged with rage. “Damned human, how long do you think you can hold out like this?”
This time, Lin Yuan didn't answer. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with force and straightened his back.
His white tank top was shredded beyond recognition.
Claw marks covered his right shoulder, left ribs, back, and calves, all of them weeping blood. The golden bone patterns of his Nine Rounds of Bone Tempering shimmered through the tears in his clothes.
His hands were stained red—some of it his own, some of it theirs.
Clang.
He held Purple Lightning horizontally in front of him and rolled his stiff neck. His cervical spine let out a sharp crack as he looked at the Shadow Abyss Wolves, a hint of excitement dancing in his eyes.
“Finally, I can cut loose and really play with you all.”
The three Shadow Abyss Wolves knew exactly what that meant—Lin Yuan was prepared to put his life on the line. They crouched low, settling into their combat stances.
Lin Yuan grinned.
“Again.”
The light of the Golden Bell Shield’s outer wall was gradually dimming. It was obvious the barrier wouldn't last much longer.
The three wolves kicked off the ground simultaneously, leaving three shattered craters in the marble floor. Three streaks of shadow lunged at him from different directions.
Lin Yuan didn't choose to dodge. Instead, he did something that the three Shadow Abyss Royals couldn't believe.
He closed his eyes.
Lin Yuan wasn't giving up; he just couldn't afford to care about anything else right now.
The bone at the center of his back was searingly hot. The progress of his Nine Rounds of Bone Tempering was flickering wildly in his mind—99%, 99.9%...
The bottleneck that had blocked him for so long was being forced open from the inside by a surging, scalding power.
It was time.
He dropped all defenses and submerged his entire consciousness into the depths of his bones.
Seeing this, a mocking, cold light flashed in the eyes of the three Shadow Abyss Wolves.
Trying to break through mid-battle? How was that any different from seeking death?
The wolf in front bared its teeth, revealing rows of jagged fangs. Its claws, saturated with highly concentrated shadow energy, aimed straight for his heart.
At the critical moment, Lin Yuan flipped his wrist again. A smaller Golden Bell Shield appeared, enveloping him.
The claws slammed into the Golden Bell Shield, causing the pale gold light to vibrate violently. New cracks spread across the surface of the barrier, but it didn't break.
Tier 2 Peak B-rank defensive ability card—Golden Bell Shield.
Zhao Tianyu’s father had bought it at a high price from a Kyoto auction to save his son’s life, but he had lied to his son, telling him it only cost 50,000.
Even as strong as these three Shadow Abyss Wolves were, if they wanted to break through it in a short time...
They could keep dreaming!
Lin Yuan looked down at the pale gold shield hugging his body and suddenly laughed, his shoulders shaking.
“Zhao Tianyu, oh Zhao Tianyu, you really have a good father. If I see you again, I’ll definitely make sure to thank you.”
Meanwhile, far away in Donghai City.
Zhao Tianyu was lying on the sofa in his living room, legs crossed as he scrolled through his phone.
The screen showed emergency news of the monster tide hitting Hangzhou, with the host reporting casualty numbers with a grim expression.
He was halfway through a potato chip when his nose suddenly itched. “A-choo!”
Chip fragments sprayed all over the sofa. He rubbed his nose and cursed, “Damn it, who the hell is badmouthing me?”
...
Inside the Golden Bell Shield, Lin Yuan closed his eyes.
The burning bone at the center of his back finally broke through.
It wasn't a snap or an explosion; it was a quieter, more thorough transformation.
The golden bone patterns of the Nine Rounds of Bone Tempering surfaced on his skin, flickering and rearranging themselves.
They were no longer independent lines; they began to connect, intertwine, and fuse.
From his toes to his calves, from his calves to his thighs, from his thighs to his spine, from his spine to his shoulder blades, and from his shoulder blades to his fingertips—all the bone patterns linked together into a complete golden network.
The small blank space at the center of his back that had refused to be covered was filled the moment the network closed.
Instantly, a beam of golden light erupted from within Lin Yuan.
The light filled the entire interior of the Golden Bell Shield and leaked through the cracks, illuminating the cavernous lobby as if it were broad daylight.
The smiles on the three Shadow Abyss Wolves froze.
Ten Rounds as One.
In the path of bone tempering, nine rounds made one a genius among geniuses.
Ten rounds was a legend—one that wasn't even recorded in the stories.
In human history, there was not a single record of the existence of Ten Rounds as One bone tempering.
And now, that legend stood before them, eyes closed, body bathed in light.
“Don't hold back!” one of the Shadow Abyss Wolves shrieked. “Kill him with everything you have!”
The three wolves unleashed their strongest killing moves simultaneously.
One of the Shadow Abyss Royal talent skills—Shadow Devour Raid!
Instantly, three streaks of dark green shadow hammered against the Golden Bell Shield, which let out a groan under the unbearable weight.
Cracks spread from the top to the edges, and soon, the entire Golden Bell Shield began to collapse.
Lin Yuan’s consciousness remained deep within his bones.
The energy brought by the breakthrough of Ten Rounds as One was like a flood washing through his meridians. This power was so immense that completing the bone tempering alone didn't even come close to using it up.
The excess energy surged automatically toward his dantian.
The shackles of his lightning ability’s realm were shattered instantly by this torrent of energy.
【Lightning Ability: E-rank, Tier 2, Level 1】
It wasn't over.
The flood of energy continued forward, rushing into the domain of his space-time ability.
Stirred by this bone-tempering power of the same origin, the S-rank space-time system also began to climb.
【Space-Time Ability: S-rank, Tier 1, Level 7】
At the same time, the Golden Bell Shield protecting Lin Yuan was shattered by the Shadow Abyss Wolves.
Seeing this, wild joy erupted in the eyes of the three wolves. The shield was broken, and the human still had his eyes closed!
Without the slightest hesitation, the three streaks of shadow lunged at the figure exposed by the shattered barrier.
“Shadow Devour Raid!”
But suddenly, they slammed into a hand—Lin Yuan’s left hand.
At some point, Lin Yuan had opened his eyes. His left hand was firmly gripping the claw of the wolf directly in front of him.
That claw, which was larger than his entire torso, was being held fast by a single hand.
The Shadow Abyss Wolf’s pupils constricted violently. It tried to pull its claw back, but found it couldn't budge it even an inch...
Bolstered by the bones of Ten Rounds as One, along with the Tier 2, Level 1 E-rank lightning ability and the Tier 1, Level 7 S-rank space-time ability.
His right hand drew Purple Lightning and began to swing.
“Thunder Walk Through Nine Heavens, Fifth Form: Cloud Chaser.”
Lin Yuan hurled Purple Lightning forward, and it transformed into a literal bolt of lightning.
Purple Lightning pierced through the chest of the Shadow Abyss Wolf directly in front of him.
The dark silver fur was impaled. In the moment its chest was pierced, the wolf even remained in the posture of having its claw held by Lin Yuan.
It hadn't even had time to react.
Purple Lightning passed through the first wolf’s chest and took a sharp turn in mid-air.
Cloud Chaser—the name didn't come from its speed, but because it possessed homing properties.
Rate on N.U.
