Chapter 269: Hunt

Descending deeper.

Ancient flames ignited.

The voice continued.

"TWO WOLVES ENTER."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"I’m not a wolf."

The voice ignored him.

Lu Chen almost smiled.

"ONE SHALL INHERIT."

Lu Chen’s expression became serious.

Shen Tian’s too.

Then...

The words appeared.

FINAL TRIAL

THE HUNT

Lu Chen stared.

Shen Tian read silently.

The voice explained.

"BELOW LIES THE BLOODSTEEL LABYRINTH."

"WITHIN IT REST THREE WOLF SIGILS."

"CLAIM TWO."

"REACH THE ALTAR."

"BECOME HEIR."

Lu Chen smiled.

Finally.

A competition.

No women.

No social games.

No family influence.

No money.

No status.

A hunt.

Combat.

Survival.

His world.

He looked toward Shen Tian.

His smile became vicious.

"Perfect."

Shen Tian looked toward him.

Lu Chen continued.

"No Shen Family."

"No money."

"No people protecting you."

"No women cheering for you."

"Just you."

"And me."

Shen Tian stared.

Then...

Slowly smiled.

"You really think those are the reasons you keep losing?"

Lu Chen’s smile vanished.

Shen Tian walked toward the staircase.

"Come on, War Wolf."

Lu Chen’s eyes darkened.

Shen Tian looked over his shoulder.

His green eyes gleamed.

"Let’s find out."

. . .

[Ding!]

Hidden Fate Event Triggered

Heavenly Wolf Succession Battle

Original Destiny: Lu Chen automatically becomes sole challenger.

Current Destiny: Shen Tian has forcibly entered the succession trial.

Total Fate at Risk: 38,000

Additional Condition Detected

If Shen Tian wins the Heavenly Wolf Inheritance:

Lu Chen Fate Loss: 38,000

Lu Chen Current Fate Value: 402,000 → 364,000

Xu Ning’s eyes widened.

[Host.]

Shen Tian smiled.

"That’s more like it."

Then...

Another notification appeared.

WARNING

If Lu Chen wins:

Lu Chen gains 45,000 Fate.

Projected Fate Value: 447,000

Shen Tian’s smile disappeared.

Xu Ning looked toward him.

[So...]

Shen Tian stared down into the labyrinth.

"No mistakes."

Behind him...

Lu Chen rolled his neck.

His eyes were filled with hatred.

Determination.

And something Shen Tian hadn’t seen from him before.

Focus.

Pure focus.

No distractions.

No women.

No ego games.

No pointless boasting.

Just...

Victory.

Lu Chen walked past Shen Tian.

Their shoulders struck.

Neither moved aside.

Lu Chen looked at him.

"Stay out of my way."

Shen Tian looked back.

"No."

Lu Chen’s eyes narrowed.

"I wasn’t asking."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Neither was I."

Silence.

Then...

Lu Chen entered the labyrinth.

Shen Tian waited three seconds.

Xu Ning blinked.

[Why are you waiting?]

"Because he’s dramatic."

[Host!]

Shen Tian laughed.

Then entered.

. . .

Far away...

Inside a dark room...

Viper watched a screen.

Two signals had entered Tianbei Mountain.

One...

Lu Chen.

The other...

Unknown.

Then identification software finished processing.

SHEN TIAN

Viper stared.

"...No way."

Behind him...

A voice spoke.

"So."

Viper immediately straightened.

Xue Long emerged from the darkness.

Older.

Scarred.

One eye partially clouded.

He looked toward the screen.

Then...

Slowly smiled.

"They met."

Viper looked toward him.

"You knew Shen Tian would follow?"

"No."

"Then why are you smiling?"

Xue Long stared at both signals.

"Because this is better."

He leaned forward.

"War Wolf hates Shen Tian."

"Shen Tian knows War Wolf wants him dead."

"And now..."

His smile widened.

"...we’ve put them inside a tomb containing one inheritance."

Viper’s expression changed.

"You want them to kill each other."

Xue Long laughed softly.

"No."

He looked toward Shen Tian’s signal.

"I want Shen Tian to win."

Viper froze.

"What?"

Xue Long’s smile disappeared.

"Lu Chen is strongest when he’s protecting something."

"His team."

"His pride."

"His woman."

"His mission."

"But hatred?"

Xue Long leaned back.

"Hatred makes him reckless."

Viper stared.

"And if Shen Tian takes this from him?"

Xue Long smiled.

"Then War Wolf stops being a man who hates Shen Tian."

Silence.

"He becomes a monster obsessed with destroying him."

Viper’s eyes narrowed.

"And that’s useful to you?"

"Very."

Xue Long looked toward the screen.

Because neither Shen Tian...

Nor Lu Chen...

Realized something important.

The Heavenly Wolf Inheritance wasn’t the real objective.

It was bait.

And while the two enemies descended deeper into the mountain...

Someone else was already moving toward Qinghe.

. . .

Inside the labyrinth...

Lu Chen reached the first intersection.

Three paths.

Left.

Right.

Center.

Blood covered the center corridor.

Fresh blood.

He crouched.

Touched it.

Warm.

His expression changed.

Something was alive down here.

Then...

A growl came from the darkness.

Grrrrrrrrrr...

Lu Chen slowly stood.

Two enormous red eyes opened.

Then four.

Six.

Eight.

Lu Chen smiled.

He cracked his knuckles.

"Finally."

A pack of monstrous wolves emerged.

Each stood nearly five feet tall.

Metallic bones protruded through their skin.

Qi surrounded their claws.

The largest growled.

Lu Chen lowered his stance.

"Come on."

The wolves charged.

BOOM!

Lu Chen met them head-on.

. . .

Another corridor.

Shen Tian walked calmly.

Xu Ning floated beside him.

[Host.]

"Hm?"

[Why is your route completely empty?]

Shen Tian looked around.

It was.

No monsters.

No traps.

Nothing.

"Luck?"

[You don’t have protagonist luck.]

"Charm?"

[Are you trying to seduce the labyrinth?]

"Could work."

Xu Ning stared.

Then...

A tiny stone wolf statue beside Shen Tian suddenly illuminated.

A hidden door opened.

RUMBLE.

Behind it...

A glowing silver sigil floated above a pedestal.

Silence.

Shen Tian stared.

Xu Ning stared.

Shen Tian slowly looked toward her.

"Charm."

[SHUT UP.]

He walked inside.

The moment his fingers touched the sigil...

BOOM!

Golden light exploded.

FIRST WOLF SIGIL CLAIMED

The announcement echoed throughout the entire labyrinth.

. . .

Lu Chen had one wolf by the throat.

Another biting his arm.

Two dead beneath him.

He heard the announcement.

FIRST WOLF SIGIL CLAIMED.

His entire body froze.

Silence.

The wolf biting him growled.

Lu Chen slowly looked upward.

His eye twitched.

"No."

The wolf bit harder.

Lu Chen didn’t even react.

"No."

His face darkened.

"NO."

He grabbed the wolf.

Then...

SLAM!

BOOM!

The creature smashed into the ground.

Lu Chen roared.

"SHEN TIAAAAAAN!"

. . .

Three corridors away...

Shen Tian heard the distant scream.

He looked toward Xu Ning.

Xu Ning looked toward him.

Shen Tian smiled.

"He found out."

Xu Ning sighed.

[Host...]

Shen Tian pocketed the first sigil.

"What?"

[You are having way too much fun.]

Shen Tian’s green eyes gleamed.

Then...

He looked deeper into the labyrinth.

"Come on."

He started walking.

"Let’s go steal the second one."

And far behind him...

Lu Chen tore through the wolf pack with increasingly violent determination.

Not because he wanted the inheritance anymore.

Not merely.

Now?

He wanted one thing even more.

To beat Shen Tian.

Just once.

One undeniable victory.

One moment where Shen Tian arrived too late.

One moment where that arrogant smile disappeared.

One moment where War Wolf stood above him.

Lu Chen crushed the final wolf beneath his boot.

Blood covered his body.

He breathed heavily.

Then...

He looked into the darkness.

His eyes became cold.

"Not this time."

He started running.

"You’re not taking this from me."

And somewhere ahead...

Shen Tian smiled as the labyrinth began to shake.

The hunt...

Had truly begun.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!