Three days passed after the Four Divine Academies Trial.
But the cultivation world was still talking about one name.
Knox Void.
First place in the trial.
The mysterious ancient inheritance.
And most importantly...
Defeating Prince Leon Solaris with a single move.
Among the younger generation, Knox had always been famous because of his background.
Now, for the first time...
They feared him because of his own strength.
Inside the temporary residence of the Void Emperor Clan, Knox sat beside an open window.
A cup of tea rested in his hand.
Across from him sat Seraphina Luna.
The Moonlight Temple's Saintess had unexpectedly visited that morning.
Seraphina looked at him.
"I heard Prince Leon hasn't left his room for three days."
Knox took another sip.
"Perhaps he discovered meditation."
Seraphina stared at him.
Then...
A small laugh escaped her lips.
Knox raised an eyebrow.
"What's funny?"
"You."
"That's concerning."
Her smile grew.
"The rumors describe you as a bloodthirsty monster."
"They exaggerate."
"You broke seventy-three bones in Prince Leon's body."
Knox paused.
"...Slightly."
Seraphina nearly laughed again.
For someone with such a terrifying reputation...
Knox was surprisingly easy to speak with.
But she could never completely relax around him.
Because behind those calm eyes...
Something dangerous existed.
An intelligence she couldn't understand.
Suddenly—
[Ding!]
Knox's expression changed.
A crimson system window appeared before him.
[WARNING!]
Major Protagonist Destiny Event Detected.
Target: Adrian Vale
Event: Inheritance of the Forgotten Sword Emperor
Location: Deathless Valley
Estimated Time Until Inheritance Opens: 6 Hours
Destiny Value: 9,000
Knox's eyes sharpened.
The Forgotten Sword Emperor?
He remembered this.
In the original story...
This was one of Adrian's greatest early opportunities.
The inheritance contained three treasures.
The Heaven-Cutting Sword Art.
The Sword Emperor's Heart.
And...
The Broken Celestial Sword.
That inheritance transformed Adrian from a talented cultivator into a monster capable of fighting above his realm.
Knox placed his cup down.
Seraphina noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
"Something interesting appeared."
"Interesting?"
Knox stood.
"I'm going treasure hunting."
She blinked.
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Deathless Valley."
Seraphina's expression changed.
"That place is forbidden."
"So?"
"Thousands of cultivators have died there."
Knox looked at her.
"Then I'll try not to become number thousand-and-one."
Seraphina sighed.
"You're impossible."
Knox walked toward the door.
Then he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned.
Seraphina was following.
"Why are you coming?"
She answered calmly.
"Someone needs to stop you from doing something insane."
Knox smiled.
"You barely know me."
"I've known you long enough."
"...Fair."
Deathless Valley
Dark clouds permanently covered the sky.
Dead trees stretched across the landscape.
No birds.
No insects.
No sound.
Only silence.
Two figures were already walking through the valley.
Adrian Vale...
And the mysterious ancient soul within his ring.
"Master," Adrian whispered.
"Are you certain the inheritance is here?"
The ancient voice answered.
"Absolutely."
"Three thousand years ago, the Forgotten Sword Emperor disappeared."
"Before his death, he supposedly created a tomb."
"If you obtain his inheritance..."
The voice paused.
"You may finally have the strength to compete with Knox Void."
Adrian's eyes became determined.
Knox.
That name had become a mountain standing before him.
The Ancient Heavenly Flame.
The Four Academies Trial.
Everything reminded Adrian of the distance between them.
But today...
That would begin to change.
Several kilometers away...
Knox and Seraphina entered the valley.
Seraphina suddenly stopped.
"Something is wrong."
Knox nodded.
"No living creatures."
"Exactly."
She drew her sword.
A beautiful silver blade surrounded by moonlight.
Knox looked at it.
"Nice sword."
Seraphina glanced at him.
"That's what you're thinking about?"
"Would you prefer I panic?"
Before she could respond—
CRACK!
The earth exploded.
A skeletal hand emerged.
Then another.
Then hundreds.
Ancient corpses climbed from beneath the soil.
Their empty eyes burned with green flames.
Seraphina immediately raised her sword.
"Undead cultivators!"
Knox sighed.
"I was hoping for a peaceful walk."
The first corpse charged.
Seraphina disappeared.
Moonlight Sword Art — Crescent Fall!
A silver arc sliced through six undead cultivators.
Knox watched.
"Beautiful."
Seraphina landed beside him.
"The technique?"
Knox smiled.
"Of course."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Why do I feel like you're lying?"
"No idea."
Another wave approached.
Knox stepped forward.
Void energy gathered around his fingers.
"Let's finish this."
Void Art — Black Heaven.
Darkness expanded.
For several seconds...
The entire battlefield disappeared inside a sphere of absolute blackness.
Then—
Silence.
The darkness vanished.
Hundreds of undead cultivators had disappeared.
Not destroyed.
Not burned.
Simply...
Gone.
Seraphina stared at Knox.
"...What exactly was that?"
Knox looked at his hand.
"Something I'm experimenting with."
"Experimenting?"
"Successful experiment."
She suddenly understood something.
Knox wasn't merely strong.
He was still hiding most of his abilities.
Meanwhile...
Adrian arrived before an enormous stone gate.
Two ancient swords were carved into it.
The moment he approached—
BOOM!
The gate opened.
A powerful sword aura erupted.
Adrian's clothes fluttered violently.
His eyes widened.
"This..."
The ancient soul became excited.
"We found it!"
They entered.
Inside stood an enormous underground palace.
Thousands of swords were embedded in the ground.
At the center...
A skeleton sat upon a black throne.
A broken sword rested across its knees.
Even after thousands of years...
The skeleton radiated overwhelming pressure.
Adrian slowly approached.
Suddenly—
Two blue flames appeared inside the skeleton's eye sockets.
A voice echoed.
"Who seeks my inheritance?"
Adrian bowed.
"Junior Adrian Vale."
The skeleton observed him.
Then...
It laughed.
"Interesting."
"Your destiny is damaged."
Adrian froze.
"My destiny?"
"Someone has stolen something that belonged to you."
Knox immediately appeared in Adrian's mind.
The Ancient Heavenly Flame.
The skeleton continued.
"But your spirit remains unbroken."
"Excellent."
A golden sword appeared before Adrian.
"Pass my three trials."
"And everything I possess..."
"Will become yours."
Adrian's heart raced.
Finally.
An opportunity Knox hadn't stolen.
He grabbed the sword.
"I accept."
Outside the tomb...
Knox suddenly stopped.
[Ding!]
Protagonist has entered the Forgotten Sword Emperor's Tomb.
Inheritance Trial Initiated.
Special Villain Mission Generated.
Knox opened the mission.
MISSION: BREAK DESTINY
Three possible objectives appeared.
Option A:
Kill Adrian immediately.
Reward: 10,000 Villain Points.
Option B:
Steal the entire Sword Emperor inheritance.
Reward: 25,000 Villain Points.
Option C:
Allow Adrian to obtain part of the inheritance, then defeat him and seize the core inheritance.
Reward:
50,000 Villain Points
One Supreme Lottery Ticket
Unlock System Evolution
Knox stared at Option C.
Then he smiled.
Seraphina noticed.
"That smile..."
"What?"
"You're planning something terrible."
Knox placed his hand on his chest.
"Your opinion of me is truly heartbreaking."
"I don't believe you."
"Smart woman."
She rolled her eyes.
Knox selected—
Option C.
[Mission Accepted.]
[WARNING: Difficulty — EXTREME.]
[The protagonist's destiny will actively resist interference.]
Knox's smile widened.
"Good."
Easy victories were becoming boring.
The two entered the tomb.
Soon, they arrived at an enormous chamber.
A stone tablet stood before them.
Words were carved into its surface.
THREE TRIALS.
THE SWORD OF STRENGTH.
THE SWORD OF HEART.
THE SWORD OF DESTINY.
Seraphina studied the inscription.
"Someone is already inside."
Knox nodded.
"Adrian."
She turned sharply.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Knox smiled mysteriously.
"Villain's intuition."
"...That isn't an explanation."
"It works surprisingly often."
Before Seraphina could question him further—
BOOM!
The entire tomb shook.
A massive golden light erupted from somewhere ahead.
Inside the first trial...
Adrian stood covered in blood.
Dozens of sword wounds covered his body.
Before him stood an enormous armored warrior.
Its cultivation was an entire realm above his.
Adrian could barely stand.
The ancient soul shouted.
"Adrian!"
"Give up!"
"You'll die!"
Adrian tightened his grip.
"No."
He remembered every humiliation.
Every insult.
Every defeat.
And finally...
Knox.
"If I can't overcome this..."
"How can I ever surpass him?"
The armored warrior attacked.
Adrian closed his eyes.
At the final moment...
Something changed.
His sword moved.
Not faster.
Not stronger.
Simply...
Perfectly.
SLASH!
The armored warrior froze.
A thin line appeared across its chest.
Then—
It split apart.
Adrian fell to his knees.
The chamber became silent.
First Trial Completed.
A golden light entered his body.
His cultivation surged.
Foundation Establishment Peak!
Adrian laughed weakly.
"I did it..."
But then—
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Slow applause echoed through the chamber.
Adrian's smile disappeared.
He slowly turned around.
A young man stood at the entrance.
Black robes.
Dark hair.
Calm smile.
Beside him stood Seraphina Luna.
Adrian's pupils contracted.
"Knox..."
Knox looked at the destroyed armored warrior.
"Not bad."
Adrian stood.
His grip tightened around his sword.
"Why are you here?"
Knox smiled.
"I told you before."
"I like interesting things."
Adrian's face darkened.
"This inheritance is mine."
For several seconds...
Knox said nothing.
Then he laughed softly.
"Yours?"
He walked into the chamber.
Every step echoed through the ancient hall.
"Adrian..."
Knox's eyes turned cold.
"The heavens may place treasures in front of you."
"Destiny may point you toward them."
"But until you have the strength to keep something..."
He stopped directly before Adrian.
"...nothing belongs to you."
The atmosphere changed.
Adrian's sword began trembling.
Not because of fear.
Because his aura was colliding with Knox's.
For the first time...
Adrian did not lower his gaze.
"Then I'll become strong enough to take everything back."
Silence.
Knox stared at him.
Then...
He smiled.
Not mockingly.
Genuinely.
"Good answer."
Seraphina watched the two men.
Something about this meeting felt strange.
They weren't simply enemies.
Knox seemed to be intentionally pushing Adrian forward.
For what purpose...
She couldn't understand.
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOM!
The tomb shook violently.
Ancient formations activated.
The Sword Emperor's voice echoed throughout the palace.
"TWO WORTHY CANDIDATES HAVE ENTERED MY TOMB."
Everyone froze.
Two?
"THE RULES HAVE CHANGED."
The thousands of ancient swords buried throughout the tomb began trembling.
"ONLY ONE MAY CLAIM MY HEART."
The floor beneath Knox and Adrian cracked apart.
A massive abyss opened.
Seraphina reached toward Knox.
"Knox!"
But it was too late.
Knox and Adrian fell into the darkness.
The stone floor immediately closed behind them.
Knox landed gracefully.
Adrian crashed several meters away.
Both looked around.
They were standing inside an enormous underground arena.
At its center floated a crimson crystal.
The moment Knox saw it...
The system went crazy.
[DING! DING! DING!]
[SUPREME TREASURE DETECTED!]
[Sword Emperor's Heart.]
[Warning!]
[This treasure contains far more power than recorded in the original destiny.]
Knox's expression finally became serious.
Something was wrong.
The original story said the Sword Emperor's Heart merely increased Adrian's sword talent.
But according to the system...
This object contained enough energy to make even ancient clans fight for it.
Then another notification appeared.
[Unknown Energy Detected.]
[Possible Connection: ???]
[System Analysis Failed.]
Knox's eyes narrowed.
For the first time...
The Supreme Villain System couldn't identify something.
Adrian stepped forward.
The crimson crystal began resonating with him.
The entire arena shook.
A gigantic sword phantom appeared behind him.
The Sword Emperor's voice echoed.
"FIGHT."
"THE VICTOR..."
"SHALL INHERIT MY HEART."
Adrian raised his sword.
His entire aura changed.
Determination burned within his eyes.
"Knox."
Knox looked at him.
"This time..."
Adrian pointed his blade forward.
"I'm not letting you take it."
Knox remained silent for a moment.
Then slowly...
He drew his sword.
The sound of the blade leaving its sheath echoed across the arena.
Adrian's expression changed.
Because until now...
Knox had never considered him worthy enough to draw it.
Knox rested the sword against his shoulder.
A cold smile appeared.
"Then show me..."
His Void Energy exploded.
The entire arena trembled.
"...why destiny chose you."
For the first time...
The protagonist and the villain were about to truly fight.
End of Chapter 7