Chapter 267: Golden Dragon

[You have a golden dragon carved into your cultivation room.]

Shen Tian became silent.

Xu Ning smiled.

[Exactly.]

"Are we going inside?"

[Changing the subject.]

"Yes."

Shen Tian walked through the doors.

. . .

Inside...

Lu Chen descended.

The passageway seemed endless.

Stone stairs.

Ancient torches ignited automatically as he passed.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

His senses remained sharp.

Every instinct warned him that something was watching.

Then...

He reached the bottom.

A massive underground chamber opened before him.

Lu Chen stopped.

His eyes widened slightly.

Weapons covered the walls.

Swords.

Spears.

Axes.

Armor.

Most had rusted beyond use.

Some...

Still radiated Qi.

At the center stood a massive stone statue.

A warrior.

Nearly thirty feet tall.

Wolf pelt over his shoulders.

Greatsword resting against the ground.

Lu Chen slowly approached.

Then...

The statue’s eyes opened.

BOOM!

Lu Chen immediately jumped backward.

A voice filled the chamber.

"NAME."

Lu Chen stared upward.

"Lu Chen."

Silence.

Then...

"TITLE."

His eyes narrowed.

"War Wolf."

The chamber shook.

RUMBLE!

The statue’s eyes glowed brighter.

"WAR WOLF."

Something ancient seemed to awaken.

Lu Chen’s heartbeat accelerated.

The voice continued.

"BLOOD HAS FOLLOWED YOUR STEPS."

Images appeared around him.

Syria.

Iraq.

Africa.

Black Wolf.

Operations.

Gunfire.

Bodies.

Lu Chen watched.

His expression hardened.

"BROTHERS HAVE DIED BESIDE YOU."

Bear.

Ghost.

Rose.

Old comrades.

Dead comrades.

Faces.

Names.

The statue continued.

"YOU HAVE KILLED."

Lu Chen stared.

"Yes."

"YOU HAVE SURVIVED."

"Yes."

"YOU HAVE BEEN BETRAYED."

Xue Long appeared.

Lu Chen’s eyes became cold.

"Yes."

Then...

Shen Tian appeared.

Lu Chen’s expression instantly darkened.

The statue paused.

Interesting.

"HATRED."

Lu Chen clenched his fists.

The image showed Shen Tian standing over him.

You’re boring.

Lu Chen’s Qi surged.

"STRONG."

Shen Tian smiling.

Rose beside him.

Lin Yue beside him.

"VERY STRONG."

Lu Chen’s eyes became bloodshot.

The statue spoke.

"WHO?"

Lu Chen stared at the image.

"Shen Tian."

The name echoed.

SHEN TIAN.

SHEN TIAN.

SHEN TIAN.

The ancient chamber trembled.

"ENEMY?"

Lu Chen answered immediately.

"Yes."

"WHY?"

Silence.

Lu Chen’s mouth opened.

Then...

Stopped.

Why?

Because Shen Tian humiliated him?

Because women liked Shen Tian?

Because Shen Tian was stronger?

Because he was arrogant?

Because...

Lu Chen’s expression hardened.

"Because he stands above me."

The statue remained silent.

Lu Chen continued.

"And I refuse to stay beneath anyone."

BOOM!

The chamber shook.

The statue’s eyes glowed.

"PRIDE."

Lu Chen stared upward.

"AMBITION."

His fists tightened.

"HATRED."

Qi exploded around him.

"GOOD."

Lu Chen smiled.

Finally.

Something understood.

The statue raised its sword.

"THEN PROVE YOURSELF."

The floor opened.

Lu Chen looked down.

"...What?"

He fell.

"FUCK!"

. . .

Shen Tian heard the distant scream.

He stopped walking.

Xu Ning looked down the corridor.

[Was that...]

"Yes."

[Did he just yell...]

"Yes."

Xu Ning started laughing.

Shen Tian continued walking.

[You aren’t even going to react?]

"He fell."

[You don’t know that.]

A distant...

BOOOOOOM!

Shen Tian looked toward Xu Ning.

"He fell."

[Fair.]

. . .

Lu Chen landed hard.

BOOM!

Stone shattered beneath him.

He groaned.

Then rolled immediately.

CLANG!

A massive axe struck where his head had been.

Lu Chen’s eyes widened.

He jumped upright.

Three armored figures surrounded him.

No faces.

No flesh.

Just ancient armor filled with red light.

The first charged.

Lu Chen ducked.

Punch.

BOOM!

His fist struck the armor.

Nothing.

"What?"

The second kicked.

Lu Chen blocked.

CRACK!

He flew backward.

His arm went numb.

"Strong."

He smiled.

"Good."

The third attacked.

Lu Chen moved.

His body became a blur.

Punch.

Elbow.

Knee.

Kick.

The armored warrior staggered.

Lu Chen grabbed its helmet.

ROARED.

Then...

RIPPED.

The helmet came free.

Red energy exploded.

The warrior collapsed.

Lu Chen laughed.

"ONE!"

The other two charged.

. . .

Above...

Shen Tian reached the statue.

Its eyes opened.

"NAME."

"Shen Tian."

"TITLE."

Shen Tian thought.

Xu Ning immediately whispered.

[Villain?]

He ignored her.

"Young Master of the Shen Family."

Silence.

The statue stared.

Xu Ning covered her mouth.

[It hates you already.]

Shen Tian mentally sighed.

The statue spoke.

"BLOOD HAS FOLLOWED YOUR STEPS."

Images appeared.

Enemies.

Cultivators.

Battles.

Shen Tian watched calmly.

"YOU HAVE KILLED."

"Yes."

"YOU HAVE SURVIVED."

"Obviously."

The statue paused.

Xu Ning stared.

[Host!]

"What?"

[Stop being arrogant to the ancient inheritance!]

"Why?"

[It controls the trial!]

The statue’s eyes narrowed.

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Can statues do that?"

[Apparently!]

The voice continued.

"YOU POSSESS GREAT POWER."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Correct."

Xu Ning covered her face.

"GREAT PRIDE."

"Also correct."

"LITTLE HUMILITY."

Shen Tian paused.

"...Debatable."

[IT IS NOT DEBATABLE.]

The statue became silent.

Very silent.

Then...

"YOU ARE ANNOYING."

Shen Tian froze.

Xu Ning collapsed laughing.

[HAHAHAHAHAHA!]

Shen Tian stared at the statue.

"Did an ancient inheritance just insult me?"

[YES!]

"Interesting."

The statue continued.

"WHY HAVE YOU COME?"

Shen Tian answered simply.

"Lu Chen."

The statue’s eyes glowed.

"WAR WOLF."

"Yes."

"YOUR ENEMY."

"Yes."

"YOU HATE HIM."

Shen Tian paused.

Then...

"No."

Silence.

Xu Ning looked toward him.

The statue stared.

"NO?"

"No."

Shen Tian placed his hands into his pockets.

"He hates me."

"YOU DO NOT RETURN HIS HATRED?"

"No."

"WHY?"

Shen Tian thought about it.

Then...

"He hasn’t earned it."

Silence.

Deep...

Heavy...

Silence.

The statue stared down at him.

Shen Tian continued.

"He’s dangerous."

"Annoying."

"Arrogant."

"Possessive."

"Sometimes stupid."

Somewhere beneath them...

Lu Chen sneezed.

Shen Tian continued.

"But hatred?"

He shook his head.

"That’s expensive."

Xu Ning blinked.

[Expensive?]

"Emotionally."

The statue remained silent.

Then...

"IF HE HATES YOU..."

Its eyes brightened.

"WHY FOLLOW HIM?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"Because he’s here to become stronger."

"AND?"

"I don’t want that."

Xu Ning stared.

The statue stared.

Shen Tian smiled wider.

"I came to steal his inheritance."

Silence.

Xu Ning slowly turned.

[You actually told it.]

"Why lie?"

[BECAUSE IT’S HIS INHERITANCE!]

The statue’s entire body began glowing.

BOOOOOOM!

Killing pressure filled the chamber.

Xu Ning’s face dropped.

[HOST.]

Shen Tian’s smile faded.

"Oh."

"THIEF."

Shen Tian stared upward.

"That’s unnecessarily judgmental."

"THIEF."

"Yes, I heard you."

The statue raised its sword.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!