**Chapter 5: Breaking the Chains**
**Green Leaf City – A Quiet Inn Room**
The room was small, smelling faintly of old wood and dried herbs. Chen Feng locked the door and drew the curtains, plunging the space into dim twilight. He didn't light a lamp; his eyes could see perfectly in the dark.
Lin Yue stood by the window, peering through a crack in the curtains. Her posture was tense, her hand resting on a hidden dagger beneath her sleeve.
"They are already searching the lower districts," she whispered, not turning around. "The Black Serpent Gang has eyes everywhere. We have until dawn before they lock down the city gates."
Chen Feng ignored the urgency for a moment. He sat cross-legged on the bed, the glowing blue vial of *Spirit Vein Cleansing Dew* resting in his palm. The liquid swirled hypnotically, emitting a cold aura that made the air around it shimmer.
"Let them search," Chen Feng said calmly. "A locked gate means nothing to someone who can walk through shadows."
Lin Yue finally turned, her eyes wide with a mix of skepticism and hope. "You speak boldly for someone whose meridians are completely blocked. Are you sure this dew will work? It is formulated for those with damaged channels, not... sealed ones."
"It will work," Chen Feng stated, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "My condition is unique, but the principle remains the same. Energy must flow. If the path is blocked, we burn the obstruction away."
He uncorked the vial. A surge of pure, icy energy rushed out, filling the room with a scent like frozen mint and ozone.
"Watch the door," he commanded softly. "Do not let anyone interrupt, no matter what you hear."
Lin Yue nodded solemnly. "Understood. I won't fail you."
Chen Feng tilted his head back and poured the entire contents of the vial into his mouth.
*Instantly, chaos erupted.*
It wasn't a gentle warmth. It was an avalanche of ice crashing through his veins. The dew hit his stomach and exploded outward, rushing toward his meridians like a torrential flood hitting a dam.
*Crack.*
A sound echoed from within his body. Then another. And another.
Chen Feng's face twisted in pain, but he didn't scream. He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his forehead as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably. His meridians, sealed tight since childhood (and further hardened by the fusion with Zhang Wei's soul), were resisting the force.
"Break," he growled through clenched teeth.
Inside his mind, the System screen flashed red.
**[Warning: Critical Energy Surge Detected!]**
**[Meridian Integrity at 15%...]**
**[10%...]**
**[5%...]**
**[Host Body Approaching Collapse!]**
"Stabilize!" Chen Feng mentally shouted at the system. "Use the Void Flame to reinforce the walls while the dew breaks the seal!"
**[Command Accepted. Activating Void Flame Protection Protocol.]**
A wisp of black fire ignited in his dantian (energy center). Unlike the icy dew, the Void Flame was hot, ancient, and destructive. But under Chen Feng's precise control, it didn't burn his organs. Instead, it coated the inner walls of his meridians, creating a protective layer of void energy.
Now, the battle began in earnest.
The icy dew hammered against the blockages, while the Void Flame reinforced the structure, preventing his body from shattering under the pressure.
*Boom!*
A loud crack resonated through the room, shaking the wooden floorboards. Lin Yue jumped, her hand flying to her dagger, but she held her ground. She watched as faint black and blue lights spiraled around Chen Feng's body, forming a miniature vortex.
"One down," Chen Feng gasped.
The first meridian—the Lung Meridian—burst open. A rush of stale, dirty energy expelled from his pores, smelling like rot. Then came the second. The third.
Ten minutes felt like an eternity.
Finally, with a final, deafening internal roar, the last major blockage shattered.
The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a sensation of absolute clarity. Chen Feng felt the world differently. He could feel the dust motes dancing in the air. He could hear the heartbeat of a rat three streets away. He could feel the spiritual energy of the universe flowing into him, eager and abundant.
His meridians were open. Wide open.
**[DING!]**
**[Quest Completed: Establish a Foundation]**
**[Merit: Meridians Successfully Unblocked.]**
**[Reward: 'Cultivation Mode' Unlocked.]**
**[Bonus Reward: 100 Void Points.]**
**[Current Void Points: 160]**
**[System Notification: Host has entered Qi Gathering Stage. Current Level: 1.]**
**[Special Trait Activated: Void Body (Enhanced absorption speed +200%).]**
Chen Feng opened his eyes.
They were no longer just dark brown. Flecks of purple and deep black swirled within the irises, glowing faintly before fading back to normal. He took a deep breath, and the surrounding spiritual energy rushed into his nose, visible as a thin stream of white mist.
"Incredible," he whispered, clenching his fist. Power surged through his arm, condensing into a visible aura. "I am finally back on the path."
He stood up. His movements were fluid, silent, and filled with a new grace. The weakness of the servant boy was gone. The Sovereign was waking up.
"How do you feel?" Lin Yue asked, stepping closer. Her eyes widened as she sensed the change. "Your aura... it's different. It feels... deep. Like looking into an abyss."
"Better," Chen Feng replied, offering her a rare, genuine smile. "Much better. The dew worked perfectly."
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from downstairs, followed by shouting.
"There! Check every room!" a rough voice bellowed. "The girl is here! The boss wants her head!"
Lin Yue's face paled. "They found us. The Black Serpent Gang."
Chen Feng's expression hardened. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by cold calculation.
"Let them come," he said, walking to the door. "I needed to test my new power anyway."
"Are you crazy?" Lin Yue hissed, grabbing his arm. "There are at least twenty of them! Their leader is a Qi Gathering Level 7 cultivator! You're only Level 1!"
Chen Feng gently removed her hand. "Levels are for those who follow rules. I make my own."
He opened the door.
The hallway was filled with thugs wielding swords and axes, led by a scarred man in a black tiger-skin vest. The leader grinned when he saw Lin Yue.
"Got you, little bird," the leader sneered. Then he noticed Chen Feng. "And who's this? Your boyfriend? Looks like a beggar. Kill him first."
Three thugs charged forward, blades raised.
Chen Feng didn't draw a weapon. He didn't even stance.
He simply raised one hand.
"**Void Step.**"
In a blink, he vanished.
The thugs slashed at empty air, stumbling forward. Before they could regain balance, Chen Feng reappeared behind them.
"**Void Palm: Erosion.**"
He tapped the back of the nearest thug. The man froze, his eyes widening in horror as his weapon turned to rust in his hand, and his armor crumbled into dust. He collapsed, unconscious, his energy drained instantly.
The other two thugs spun around, terrified. "What magic is this?!"
Chen Feng moved again. A blur of motion. Two more taps. Two more men fell.
The hallway went silent. The remaining thugs backed away, trembling. The leader's grin had vanished, replaced by shock and fear.
"You..." the leader stammered, raising his own heavy blade. "What kind of technique is that? Who are you?"
Chen Feng walked slowly toward him, his footsteps making no sound. The air around him grew heavy, pressing down on everyone like a physical weight.
"I am the one who decides if you live or die today," Chen Feng said, his voice echoing with a strange resonance. "Leave. Now. Or join your friends on the floor."
The leader hesitated, then roared in anger to mask his fear. "Don't bluff, kid! I'm a Level 7! You're nothing!"
He charged, his blade glowing with a fierce yellow earth-energy.
Chen Feng sighed. "Foolish."
He raised two fingers. A tiny spark of black flame danced between them.
"**Void Flame: Singularity.**"
He flicked his fingers.
A small black sphere shot out, hitting the leader's blade.
*Crunch.*
The heavy steel blade didn't just break; it disintegrated. The black sphere continued, passing through the leader's guard and tapping him lightly on the chest.
The leader stopped mid-stride. His eyes rolled back, and he fell like a sack of potatoes, out cold.
Silence returned to the hallway.
Chen Feng lowered his hand, the black flame vanishing. He looked at the remaining thugs, who were now shaking violently.
"Run," he whispered.
They didn't need to be told twice. They dropped their weapons and scrambled down the stairs, screaming about demons.
Chen Feng turned back to Lin Yue, who was staring at him with her mouth slightly open.
"Shall we go?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't just defeated a gang single-handedly. "The sun is rising, and we have ruins to explore."
Lin Yue blinked, then a slow smile spread across her face. "Lead the way, Master Chen."
"No masters," Chen Feng corrected, stepping over the unconscious leader. "Just partners."
Together, they walked out of the inn, leaving a trail of bewildered thugs behind them. The journey to the Ancient Ruins had begun, and for the first time in ten thousand years, the Void Flame Sovereign felt truly alive.
---
**To be continued...