The mountain winds howled through the jagged ravines as Lin Chen trudged forward, his robes torn and stained with blood, both his own and that of the spirit beasts he had slain. His sword, once gleaming, now bore nicks and cracks along the blade, but his eyes remained bright — burning with hunger. Not for food or water, but for strength.
"I've reached the deepest part of the trial grounds… and still no sign of an opportunity worthy of risking my life." He muttered, swiping blood from his lips with the back of his sleeve.
He passed beneath an overhang of ancient stone, vines thick with decades of moss dangling over the edge. As he moved beyond it, a strange pull gripped his chest — like an invisible tether, yanking at something deep inside.
Thud.
He dropped to one knee, gasping. Not from injury — but from memory.
Flashes of stars.
The feel of a woman's soft hand brushing his face.
A blade of silver and light singing in his hand.
"Aghh—!" Lin Chen clutched his head.
The memories were incomplete — like shards of broken glass cutting his mind from within. Just enough to remind him of what he once was… but not enough to paint the full picture.
You… are not ready to remember everything yet…
He grit his teeth and forced himself up, staggering forward. The trail led into a narrow fissure, hidden behind a cascade of illusionary mist. If not for the stirring within his soul, he might've walked past it entirely.
Beyond the veil lay a circular stone platform — ancient, weathered by time, but still radiating power. In the center stood an obsidian monolith, covered in glowing runes that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
As Lin Chen approached, the monolith responded.
A surge of spiritual light exploded outward.
A voice — neither male nor female — echoed in his mind.
[Initiating Inheritance Protocol… Origin Signature Confirmed… Welcome Back, Dual Sovereign Lin Chen.]
Lin Chen staggered. "Dual Sovereign…?"
[You are the reincarnation of Lin Chen, the first and last wielder of the Dual Sovereign Path — a cultivation lineage that merged Yin and Yang through balanced Dual Cultivation. You sealed this inheritance before your fall across cosmic eons. I am the custodian of that legacy.]
A shimmering interface materialized before him — a translucent blue screen, brimming with information.
[System Activated: The Dual Sovereign System]
Host: Lin Chen
Current Realm: Qi Condensation, 4th Layer
Dual Compatibility Score: Unknown (Requires bonding with Dao Companion)
Spiritual Potential: Locked (Requires cultivation stabilization)
Active Functions Unlocked:
Dual Cultivation Interface: Calculates compatibility and potential gain with a chosen partner. Synchronizes yin and yang resonance for maximum benefit.
Partner Archive: Stores profiles, cultivation history, and affinity data for Dao Companions.
Technique Library: Grants access to ancient arts, starting with:
Heavenly Merging Cauldron Technique (Foundation)
Yin-Devouring Flow Scripture (Supplementary)
Hearts Interwoven Soul Sutra (Advanced Dual Cultivation Core Technique)
Body Refinement Synchronization: Allows transfer of compatible energy types between host and Dao Companion to temper body and soul.
Techniques Archive: A record of Dual Cultivation Techniques (unlocks more depending on the synchronization level)
Trial Simulation Mode: (Locked) – Allows projection of future battles using current cultivation base.
Past Life Memory Archive: (Locked) – Gradually restores knowledge as host's soul becomes more stable.
????: (Locked)
????: (Locked)
Note: This system evolves with you. Each breakthrough, each partner, each moment of dual resonance strengthens your foundation.
Lin Chen blinked. "…Is this my cheat?"
The interface flickered again.
[You left this for yourself. 'Cheat' implies you didn't earn it.]
He smirked. "Sounds like me."
He sat down in the lotus position on the stone platform as the runes encircled him.
The system's interface integrated into his spiritual sea — no external artifact, no projection. It was part of him now.
His breathing deepened.
His meridians began to heat.
His dantian expanded slightly as the Heavenly Merging Cauldron Technique activated on its own, refining residual spiritual energy left in the platform.
"Dual Sovereign, huh…" he muttered, staring into the void of memory just beyond his reach.
He looked up.
"If I once ruled the stars…"
He clenched his fists.
"…then I'll do it again."
The system chimed:
[Legacy Integration: 5%]
[Next Threshold at Nascent Soul Realm — Estimated Memory Fragment Unlock: 20%]
Lin Chen stood and took one last glance at the monolith.
Then turned and walked away.
Behind him, the entire inheritance site crumbled into ash, dissolving into particles of light.
Only the path forward remained.
[End of Chapter 28]