Blood flowed freely from the wound on Xiao Lin's shoulder, soaking the mossy ground. His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding like a war drum. Behind him, the screams of the red-robed assassins grew closer—the sound of their footsteps crushing dry branches and leaves.
*"Don't stop... Don't stop!"* he whispered to himself, gripping the rust sword tightly. Jiuying, the name that had just crossed his mind, seemed to shake his bones. But there's no time to reflect.
With the last of his strength, Xiao Lin climbed up the steep cliff beside the fast-flowing river. The thick fog hid his tracks, but he knew it wouldn't be long. Suddenly, the sword in his hand vibrated violently, emitting a reddish glow. A wild *instinct* drove him to jump into the river—just as a poisoned arrow shot out from where he was standing.
The cold water hit his body, but Jiuying suddenly released a warm aura, protecting him from the violent current. When he surfaced, Xiao Lin was stranded in a hidden cave behind a waterfall. There, on the cave wall, he saw an ancient carving: nine dragons fighting against a giant horned figure.
*"You wouldn't have survived without me,"* a female voice suddenly rang out.
Xiao Lin turned around, sword drawn. Before his eyes stood a girl in black, her hair as white as snow, her eyes piercing aquamarine. **Luo Yan**. Her hand held a dagger coated with an icy aura.
"Who are you? From the Hongmeng Sect too?" Xiao Lin asked warily, though his body was trembling.
Luo Yan laughed coldly. "If I wanted to kill you, you would have died the moment you touched the Jiuying." He stepped closer, his finger touching the sword. Instantly, the dragon carvings on the cave wall glowed, projecting the image of a sword god dancing with nine swords circling his body.
"Look. This is the *Buried Dragon Dance*, the highest level technique of the *Jiuying School*," Luo Yan said, his eyes not leaving the image. "But you... you can't even control the flow of basic energy."
Xiao Lin glared at him angrily. "What does it have to do with me?"
"Because you are not the *true owner* of the Jiuying," Luo Yan replied suddenly seriously. "You just happen to have the rare blood that can revive it. But if you continue to be this foolish, this sword will consume your soul in a month."
Before Xiao Lin could reply, the screams of assassins could be heard outside the cave. Luo Yan pulled Xiao Lin's arm roughly. "They are here. You have two choices: die by them, or come with me and learn to survive!"
---
The red-robed assassins entered the cave—12 of them, each carrying a different weapon. The leader, the man in the iron mask, laughed at the sight of the injured Xiao Lin.
"Hand over the Jiuying, and we'll give you a quick death," he said.
Luo Yan stepped forward, his dagger flashing. "Did you hear that? They're *kind*," he quipped. Suddenly, an icy aura froze the assassins' feet. "Run into the cave! Now!" he shouted at Xiao Lin.
But Xiao Lin didn't move. The blood on his hand dripped onto the Jiuying, and suddenly—
**RAWR!**
A thunderous dragon roar filled the cave. The Jiuying glowed bright red, and Xiao Lin's movements suddenly became as fast as lightning. Unconsciously, he stabbed his sword into the ground—fiery energy cracks erupted, incinerating three assassins at once.
"No way! This young man can activate *Dragon's Fury*?!" the assassin leader shouted.
Luo Yan smiled faintly. "So you're not complete trash," he whispered. But Xiao Lin had already collapsed, his body unable to withstand the sword energy.
"You, take him away!" Luo Yan suddenly ordered into the darkness. A giant green-eyed wolf appeared, biting Xiao Lin's robes and pulling him into the cave passage.
Meanwhile, Luo Yan faced the remaining assassins alone. His dagger danced, each slash leaving a trail of ice that froze the enemy from within.
"Tell your master," he whispered to the dying assassin leader, "Jiuying already has a master. And next time, it will be us."
---
Xiao Lin woke up in a simple bamboo hut, his body wrapped in bandages. In front of him, a piece of paper was written:
*"If you want to master Jiuying, come find me at Tianlang Peak on the next full moon. But be prepared—my training is crueler than death."*
Outside, the green-eyed wolf let out a long howl. At the foot of the hill, dozens of Hongmeng sect members were marching, carrying banners with the symbol of a **chained dragon**.
---