NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Temple of Blood and Secrets
Recap:
Long Tianyu stumbled upon Project Chimera, a secretive experiment by the Shen family that mixed demonic energies with dragon bloodlines. After taking down some assassins from the Shen clan, he discovers a blood ritual is set to take place during the upcoming eclipse.
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The full moon was slowly slipping into darkness, casting an eerie stillness over the mountains surrounding the Long Clan, a place few dared to venture.
Somewhere in that untamed wilderness, hidden among ancient ruins, was the **Temple of Crimson Eclipse**, a clandestine site for the forbidden rituals of the Shen Matriarchs.
Long Tianyu stood on a cliff, his robes fluttering in the wind.
Below him lay a forest of shadowy trees and jagged rocks.
The trail of incense he had followed from the assassins' souls led him straight to this spot.
> [Special Sign-In Location: Temple of Crimson Eclipse]
> Reward Available: Demon-Sight Pearl Grants vision through darkness and illusions.
Sign in.
> [Sign-In Successful!]
> Reward acquired: Demon-Sight Pearl
> Effect: See through spiritual seals, illusions, and night concealment
A cool silver orb merged with his forehead, and his eyes glowed faintly red. He leaped.
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Moving quickly through the underbrush, Tianyu skillfully avoided the patrols.
The Pearl unveiled hidden glyphs and illusion wards meant to confuse intruders. After an hour of navigating, he found himself in front of a stone gate adorned with twisting beasts and grooves for blood channels.
He placed his hand on the seal.
> [System Prompt: Hidden Dungeon Temple of Crimson Eclipse]
> Difficulty: S-Rank
> Objective: Infiltrate, retrieve core evidence of Project Chimera, and survive
> Bonus Reward: Fragment of Ancient Dragon Soul Flame
Tianyu's eyes sparkled with excitement.
I accept.
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Inside the temple, crimson light flickered from ever-burning torches, filling the air with the scents of incense, blood, and sulfur. Dark-robed figures moved silently between ritual circles and chained test subjects.
The most unsettling sight was the hybrid beasts—part human, part demonic creatures—wandering in pens along the walls.
> [New Entry Added: Chimera Experiment No. 047 Failed Dragon-Human Fusion]
Tianyu moved like a shadow, slipping through the air with an eerie grace.
Thanks to the Demon-Sight Pearl, he could see past most illusions.
He arrived at the lower sanctum altar, carved from obsidian and stained a deep red.
And there, looming over a chained child, stood **Lady Shen Rou**.
Draped in ceremonial robes, her expression was calm, her hands adorned with demonic sigils.
"I know you're here, Tianyu," she said, her voice steady.
He stepped out from the shadows.
"You're sacrificing children now?"
She turned to face him.
"Only those with diluted dragon blood. But you, you carry the true flame.
My husband needs it... for his return."
"Long Shen is dead."
"Only in body."
In an instant, red lightning struck the altar, and a dark cocoon began to form behind her—Long Shen's soul trapped within, pulsating ominously.
"My dear Tianyu," Lady Shen whispered, "you were born to complete him."
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The room shook with tension.
Four elite protectors surrounded the altar, each infused with demon-blood Qi, their power rivaling that of core disciples.
> [Warning: Boss-Level Opponents Detected]
> [Activate: Draconic Flame Core Stage 1]
> [Activate: Soul Sense Field, Demon-Sight Pearl]
Tianyu's aura exploded forth, the air around him heating up and becoming charged.
**Battle commenced.**
He launched himself at the first attacker with a fiery kick, sending him crashing into the wall.
The second opponent wielded demonic chains, but Tianyu melted them mid-strike and countered with a sweeping flame attack.
The third and fourth charged at him simultaneously—one brandishing shadow blades, the other unleashing acidic mist.
> [New Technique Unlocked: Dragonfire Nova Area Damage, Soul-Burn Enhanced]
Tianyu unleashed a Nova blast, engulfing the entire lower sanctum in a wave of holy flame.
Screams echoed through the air.
Three protectors fell, and the last one staggered before collapsing.
Lady Shen stepped forward, her eyes blazing with intensity.
"You truly are your father's son," she declared.
With that, she drew a black jade blade and activated a forbidden array.
"You won't escape," she warned.
But Tianyu raised his hand. "Activate: Dragon Pulse Barrier!"
Her array cracked mid-cast as he charged through the flames, palm-striking her chest and injecting flame Qi directly into her.
Lady Shen shrieked in agony as her internal meridians ruptured, collapsing and coughing up blood.
> [Quest Complete: Temple of Crimson Eclipse]
> Reward: Fragment of Ancient Dragon Soul Flame
A radiant red-gold shard floated into his core. "Your Dragon Breath Foundation is evolving..."
The dark cocoon pulsed violently.
"Long Tianyu," the unmistakable voice echoed in his mind. Long Shen's soul... wasn't gone.
Not yet.
Tianyu turned away, leaving the burning temple behind him as he walked into the rising dawn.
In the distance, a shadow watched silently—neither human nor demon.
Another player had entered the game.
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Teaser for Chapter 8:
As the eclipse approaches its peak, a foreign cultivator arrives from the West, seeking Tianyu's system and bloodline. The international underworld is beginning to stir.