Chapter 226 Xuan Wu: The Emperor of Darkness!
On the crisp morning of March 31, 2023, Zhang Wei awoke with the first rays of dawn.
The soft glow of sunlight seeped through the curtains, casting a gentle warmth across the room.
To his surprise, he discovered a small piece of fluff nestled between himself and Wu Xue. It seemed that Wu Xue had placed Mr. Poo between them during the night.
Zhang Wei reached out and carefully plucked the fluffy interloper from their midst.
With a sly grin, he decided and tossed Mr. Poo out of the open window.
Little did he know that his act would set off a chain of emotions in Wu Xue when she woke up.
As the morning unfolded, the system, which silently observed their interactions, felt tempted to comment on Zhang Wei's newfound jealousy.
However, it wisely chose to withhold its remarks.
"Host, have you considered using the inheritance stone?" the system finally inquired.
Zhang Wei's thoughts snapped back to the matter at hand.
He recalled the obsidian-black stone he had acquired from Ye Feng, hidden safely within his inventory.
It exuded an eerie aura of darkness that could not escape the notice of anyone with discerning eyes.
With a nod, Zhang Wei made his decision. He stepped out into the pre-dawn darkness.
The clock had just struck 5 o'clock, and the world around him was shrouded in velvety obscurity.
His new constitution allowed him to function optimally with fewer hours of sleep, granting him the freedom to explore the mysteries of this early hour.
Standing beneath the bridge overlooking Westlake, Zhang Wei scanned the surroundings for any sign of prying eyes.
Satisfied that he was alone, he took a deep breath and clenched the inheritance stone in his hands.
With a resounding *boom,* he shattered the stone into a thousand pieces, unleashing its hidden power.
Fierce gusts suddenly tore through the atmosphere, charged with an ominous, electrifying energy.
The calm of the morning shattered as thunder reverberated, the heavens veiled in a swirling darkness that swallowed the dawn.
Amidst this foreboding metamorphosis, a figure emerged—cloaked in shadows, a silhouette proclaiming itself as the Emperor of Darkness, Xuan Wu.
"Bold is the one who dares to grasp my legacy!" bellowed the imposing figure, his voice resonating eerily. "Is he worthy?"
Whoosh!
Before Zhang Wei could react, he found himself whisked away to a separate, confined dimension. It was as if the lingering power within the fragment of Xuan Wu's soul had conjured this realm to test Zhang Wei's worthiness.
The dimensions contorted and twisted around him, an ethereal plane where reality waltzed on the edge of the surreal.
In this ethereal realm, the air was dense with an dark aura, crackling with unseen might. The ground beneath his feet felt both solid and elusive, an ever-shifting foundation challenging his balance.
Mysterious symbols and ancient runes adorned the surroundings, glowing dimly as if infused with age-old secrets.
Xuan Wu, the Emperor of Darkness, emerged from the shadows, his presence towering and menacing.
Eyes gleaming like bottomless chasms, he gazed intently at Zhang Wei, evaluating him with a gaze that seemed to penetrate the depths of his soul.
"Prove your worth," the Emperor intoned, his voice echoing like distant thunder. "Display your mettle, and only then shall you be deemed deserving of the legacy you seek."
"Keekekekeke."
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Wei found himself encircled by naked skeletons hurtling toward him.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through him, his face contorting as he beheld the smug visage of Xuan Wu, a disdainful figure hovering in the air.
'Oye System ! What happened to those guaranteed 100% success chances for inheriting this power?' he fumed, feeling the sting of betrayal from the system.
[Host, try to use your bloodline] the system urged.
'Hm?' Without a second thought, Zhang Wei mustered all the strength within him to awaken his dormant bloodline. Veins bulged beneath his skin, suffused with layers of white and golden hues, coursing through his hand and neck.
In an awe-inspiring display, a figure of a dragon materialized, with shimmering golden pupils resembling the depths of the abyss, hovering above his head.
Though Zhang Wei couldn't perceive the majestic figure, his own eyes now glowing a brilliant gold, Xuan Wu beheld it vividly.
Horror etched across the Emperor of Darkness's face as he bore witness to the manifestation of this extraordinary power.
The very air crackled with the newfound power that radiated from Zhang Wei. His eyes, now blazing with golden intensity, reflected the essence of the dragon that loomed above him, its presence an ethereal embodiment of awe-inspiring might.
Xuan Wu, once smug and superior, was now gripped by an undeniable sense of dread. His haughty demeanor crumbled in the face of this unexpected surge of strength, a power far beyond anything he had anticipated.
"Impossible," Xuan Wu muttered, his voice trembling as he retreated, the darkness that had cloaked him flickering like a feeble candle in the face of a tempest. "You... you are truly worthy of this inheritance." He tried to negotiate, a last-ditch effort to regain some control, hoping to calm Zhang Wei.
Yet, what he didn't anticipate was that Zhang Wei had no idea what had transpired with Xuan Wu all of a sudden.
Zhang Wei couldn't perceive the spirit of the dragon god, leaving him bewildered by Xuan Wu's sudden change.
As the remnants of the ethereal aura materialized completely, a bone-chilling scream echoed through the dissipating shadows.
Xuan Wu, the Emperor of Darkness, cried out in horror as the dragon spirit, unseen to Zhang Wei, surged forward, closing in on him. The terrifying shrieks and pleas for mercy pierced the air, sending shivers down Zhang Wei's spine.
"NO! PLEASE! SPARE ME!" Xuan Wu's anguished voice reverberated, fading into the encroaching darkness.
Zhang Wei, standing amidst the diminishing echoes, could feel the malevolent presence dissipating.
Though unable to see the dragon spirit's actions, he could sense the power within him stabilizing, calming, and integrating, as if it were absorbing and assimilating something immense.
Moments later, the echoes of Xuan Wu's screams diminished, and an eerie silence settled over the crumbling dimension. The darkness lifted completely, revealing the early morning sky, tinged with hues of orange and pink as the sun broke free from its nocturnal shroud.
Yet, the reality of what had transpired still eluded Zhang Wei. He blinked, his eyes returning to their usual state. Confusion clouded his mind, but an unshakable power burned within him.
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1) Shadow Walk.....