SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: Chapter 9: “A Blade in the Dark, a Flame in the Forge”
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Night draped its velvet mantle over Wu Tan City, and silence blanketed the Xiao Clan compound.
Tianzun stood before a black-glowing system panel in his mindscape, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes narrowed in focus. The numbers in the corner shimmered faintly.
📊 Celestial Shards: 19,040 / 93,000 Needed for Dou Shi: 1 Star
> Too slow. If I follow this path, it'll take two more months at least.
He needed a sharper edge. A stronger ally. A bolder play.
And so, his eyes flicked toward the new glowing tab:
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🛡️ [MISSION PANEL – ADVANCED ACCESS UNLOCKED]
MISSION RANKING SYSTEM:
> Tier-1 (Green): Child-level tasks, zero danger – basic rewards (500–1,000 shards)
Tier-2 (Blue): Low-risk support work or stealth – moderate rewards (1,000–2,500)
Tier-3 (Yellow): Mid-risk external assignments – growing danger (2,500–5,000)
Tier-4 (Orange): Life-threatening or complex missions requiring tactics and power (5,000–12,000)
Tier-5 to 9 (Red → Black): Reserved for Sect Wars, Realm-Level Conflict, or Timeline Interventions
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A new mission flickered to the forefront:
> [Tier-4 Mission: "Phantom Fang of Cold Creek"]
A noble caravan carrying secret artifacts will be ambushed by bandits masked as mercenaries. System requests Host to intercept and eliminate all attackers silently without alerting the caravan.
> 🔸 Reward: 7,500 Celestial Shards
🔸 Bonus: +1 Passive Trait Point
🔸 Risk: Fatal (recommended level: Dou Zhe: 4 Star)
> 🔘 Accept Mission?
Tianzun didn't hesitate.
> "Accepted."
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[MISSION SYNC: COMBAT REALM ACCESS INITIATED]
Location: Cold Creek Valley – Simulated Exterior Zone
Environmental Data Upload: Wind Speed, Terrain Gradient, Night Cycle Lighting
> 「You're not going alone, are you?」 Ling Yuan asked, tone curious.
> "No. She's ready."
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Reality – Training Courtyard
Moonlight lit the tiles. Tianzun looked up at Yoru, seated on the rooftop as always.
"Gear up. You're coming with me."
She blinked. "Mission?"
"Tier-4."
"Finally."
She dropped beside him silently, rolling her shoulders. Her blade glinted.
Tianzun touched her forehead with two fingers, and a faint glow passed between them. Her aura shifted slightly.
"Veiling Seal. Don't speak during the mission unless I allow it. Don't act until I signal. Stay in my shadow. Understood?"
"Understood."
They vanished into the dark.
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🗡️ Cold Creek Valley – Three Hours Later
The winds howled through the canyons like wolves. The moon was high, casting long shadows through jagged peaks.
Tianzun crouched atop a branch, his robes blending into the shadows. Yoru crouched beside him, her breathing silent, her blade tied across her back.
Below them, the caravan passed—four large carts escorted by six armored guards. Two carriages glowed faintly with protective inscriptions.
But hidden in the rocks up ahead—six men waited. Their auras were tightly controlled. Professional. Dangerous.
Bandits in uniform.
Tianzun's fingers moved subtly in a hand signal.
Yoru nodded.
> Time to test her.
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Tianzun whispered, just loud enough for her ears.
> "Take the left ridge. Eliminate in reverse sequence. Leave no aura trace."
Yoru leapt into darkness.
Tianzun closed his eyes, not even watching. He needed her to adapt. To kill.
He needed a weapon — not a follower.
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[Mission Objective 1 Complete – 3 Eliminated]
> [Yoru – Kill Efficiency: 92%]
[Aura Suppression Score: 87%]
But something shifted.
A hidden seventh attacker moved in behind the caravan — Dou Zhe: 3 Star. Sharp. Quiet. Hidden under a Qi Cloak.
Tianzun's eyes snapped open.
He moved.
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A single motion.
A flicker of flame behind the rock.
He appeared in the man's blind spot and pressed two fingers forward.
> "Exploding Pulse Spiral: Prototype #3."
A coiled burst of Dou Qi erupted from Tianzun's fingertip like a twisting blade of heat and force. It struck the bandit in the ribs, uncoiling inside his body and detonating with silent precision.
The man hit the ground without a sound, eyes wide, lungs collapsed.
> [First Field Use – Custom Technique Registered]
Rating: 79% – Improvement Suggested: Stabilize feedback recoil on reverse joint
✅ Reward: +500 Celestial Shards
✅ Reward: "Instinct Rewire" Passive Boost (+1% reaction time in mid-combat trigger)
Tianzun didn't smile. He simply turned to see Yoru return silently.
> "Target cleared."
> "Your angle was slow on the second kill."
> "He moved."
> "You didn't correct soon enough."
She frowned, then nodded. "Understood."
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[Mission Complete – Phantom Fang Eliminated]
📈 Reward: +7,500 Celestial Shards
📈 Bonus: +1 Trait Point
📈 Kill Efficiency Rating: 88%
📈 Shadow Integrity: 97% – Host identity not detected
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Later, back in the crafting realm, Tianzun stood before a glowing forge.
> "It worked. The spiral detonation pattern compressed without Qi leakage. The recoil damage is low — for now."
He turned to a blank scroll.
[Technique Design Module – Update in Progress]
He wrote:
📜 "Exploding Pulse Spiral – Stage 1"
> A technique designed from the memory of explosive force circulation seen in anime combat arts. Utilizes tendon torque, meridian feedback, and fire-type Dou Qi ignition nodes to create a one-point burst from any limb. Deadly at close range.
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Yoru entered the space quietly.
She looked around at the forge, the blueprints, the dimensional cauldrons.
"You live here," she said.
He nodded. "This is where real power is made."
She looked down at the scroll in his hand.
"Your technique."
He didn't look at her. "Ours. You execute them. I design them."
She blinked.
> "...Then make more."
He finally smiled.
> "I intend to."
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Celestial Shard Balance: 27,040 / 93,000
> Slowly. Strategically. With a sword in one hand… and a ledger in the other.
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