Legacy of Blood: Reclaiming the Lost Throne

Chapter Seven: Ravine spirit hunt part 1

The dawn of the hunt arrived like a blade drawn in silence.

The sky above Tianxuan glowed with pale white. Everywhere was filled with nervous qi, excitement, fear and ambition.

Kaien stood near the back of the formation quiet and unnoticed by most.

Ahead of them, high on a carved platform, stood Elder Jinhai, flanked by two jade-robed disciples holding a lacquered box.

“Today marks the start of the Southern Ravine Spirit Hunt,” Jinhai announced, his voice was deep and calm. “Your task is simple: hunt, collect cores, survive or not,” he said sarcastically.

He opened the box with a wave of his hand, revealing dozens of glowing bronze tokens—each etched with a unique inscription and rimmed in silver.

“These are your spirit hunt tokens. They will track your merit. Each beast core you offer it will be recorded. And should you fall or lose consciousness, the token will shatter and mark your place for recovery—if recovery is possible.”

There was another round of murmurs.

“Top three earners will receive direct audience with Inner Sect Elders. One if deemed worthy will be elevated.”

One of the disciples stepped down and began handing out tokens one by one.

When Kaien’s reached him, it pulsed faintly as it touched his palm—just for a breath. Then settled.

The fragment… is near.

He felt it again—faint, like a heartbeat buried in stone.

As the final token was passed, Elder Jinhai raised his hand.

Behind him, a large, swirling spirit portal flared open—glowing blue-green and rimmed in ancient symbols. Wind rushed from within, carrying the scent of wild earth and distant roars.

“The portal leads directly into the ravine’s outer ring. You’ll find beasts, terrain, and danger. Fight wisely.” One by one, the disciples stepped toward the portal.

“Well, well.”

Zhou Shan.

He stood a few feet away, arms folded, his red sleeve sash tied tighter today, his chest puffed like a rooster before a duel.

“You’re really coming?” he scoffed. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Even dogs chase meat when it’s thrown in front of them.”

Kaien met his eyes but said nothing.

Zhou stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You should’ve stayed in your shack. You’re not going to find pity in the ravine.”

Kaien smirked faintly. “I’m not looking for pity.”

“Oh?” He leaned in. “Then I hope you’re ready to be hunted.”

He stepped past Kaien and vanished into the portal, his lackeys following behind.

Kaien turned toward the swirling light.

One breath.

Two.

Then he stepped through.

The ravine smelled of blood and wet earth.

Kaien moved alone.

Then he heard it.

A low hiss.

Followed by the soft crackle of shifting leaves.

He turned and cursed under his breath.

A Scarlet Spine Serpent.

It was massive and quick. Wrapped in dark red scales with gleaming silver along its spine. It slithered low through the mist, its slit-pupiled eyes glowing faintly as it locked onto him.

“Ugh… What bad luck.”

Kaien tightened his grip on the hilt at his back.

“I should be able to handle it.”

His body was still weak, but this wasn’t a core-stage beast. If he moved carefully, he could finish it.

The serpent hissed louder, flattening its coils as it prepared to strike.

Kaien took a step forward.

And then—

“Blade Formation—Scatter Wind!”

Three blades flashed through the trees, slicing across the serpent’s flank. It screeched, recoiling.

From the fog, a group of disciples emerged, four in total. Two carried twin sabers, one held a long spear, and the last was a girl with spirit bells strapped to her wrist.

They circled the serpent swiftly, moving with practiced coordination.

Within seconds, it was dead.

Its body collapsed to the ground, blood steaming in the morning air.

Kaien stepped back silently, watching as the lead disciple, a tall boy with clear eyes and a silver badge marking him as senior among the outer ranks, turned to him.

“You alright?” he asked.

“I had it,” Kaien replied flatly.

He grinned. “Didn’t doubt it. Just figured we’d save time.”

The girl with the bells added, “We’ve been moving as a team since we landed. Hunting’s faster that way. We split cores evenly. When one of us has enough, they leave the group. The rest continue, luck decides the rest.”

They were trying to be efficient.

To Kaien, it sounded…

Dumb.

But he nodded anyway.

“Sounds fair.”

They smiled, welcoming him into their circle.

Kaien walked with them for the next hour, saying little, listening more. They chatted about beast patterns, terrain markers, who might become an Inner Disciple.

He said nothing. He was clearly uninterested.

Because he wasn’t going to stay long.

He would find the perfect moment to get the fragment and leave.

The forest kept on changing as they moved.

Red mist clung low to the ground, all around their feet. The further they moved, the more the trees looked eerie, it was almost as if they were watching them.

The group Kaien joined moved with ease.

He walked among them, quiet and alert. His focus was somewhere else, but his ears caught every name, every pattern, every single piece of their conversation.

The leader, Han Xuyi was calm and stuck up, he spoke like someone used to being followed. His long spear had already claimed two beast cores, and his token glowed faintly from within his sash.

The twin-blade wielders were Ping An and Ping Bo, both brothers from a small mountain clan. They moved in practiced sync, finishing each other’s swings mid-air and even cracking jokes between kills. Their coordination and friendship reminded Kaien a lot of his childhood. A painful feeling filled up his heart immediately.

And then there was the bell-wearing girl, Lan Yiran. She was small, fast, and her spirit bells weren’t for decoration, they produced faint sound bursts that confused lower-ranked beasts.

“I figured you aren’t much of a talker, you’ve been listening to us without saying a word,” she said to Kaien as they walked, her bells chiming lightly with each step.

Kaien simply nodded.

Han Xuyi chuckled. “He’s the quiet type. That’s fine. Every group needs one I guess.”

Kaien could feel a trace of a murderous aura suddenly. Qi stirred unnaturally in the air tinged with bloodlust and bone-deep hunger.

Then they looked ahead and saw a wolfhound.

Ping Bo grinned, cocky and careless. “Awesome! I bet we can finish it off in ten minutes.”