Chapter 30: The Alchemist in Chains

The sun hung low over the jade-green canopy, its golden light casting long shadows across the mist-veiled valley Lin Chen had descended into. The air here was unnaturally still, laced with the metallic scent of blood and something else — a pungent aroma of herbs and scorched spiritual energy. His sword was still slick from his last kill, a Tier 9 spirit beast whose venom had corroded even his qi-imbued robes.

But Lin Chen's steps remained steady. His Dual Sovereign System pulsed lightly within his soul, resonating with the spiritual anomalies ahead.

"Something's off," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Too much spiritual residue... yet no beasts?"

He moved silently, activating a footwork technique from the Dual Sovereign's library — Phantom Petal Drift. His form blurred with each step, as if petals were blowing away in the wind, masking both his presence and qi signature.

As he rounded the bend of a shattered cliffside, Lin Chen halted.

In the center of a circular glade, surrounded by shattered jade cauldrons, broken alchemical arrays, and the remains of three mutated demonic beasts, a lone woman lay slumped against a charred stone. Chains bound her wrists and ankles, their inscriptions glowing faintly. Her robes, though torn, bore the insignia of a high-grade alchemist sect — the Crimson Lotus Pavilion — renowned across three provinces.

She was older than the other women Lin Chen had met — perhaps in her early forties — but her presence was no less striking. Raven-black hair spilled across her shoulders, and her features, though pale from exhaustion, were noble and alluring. Her figure was mature, curvaceous, the kind that made even Lin Chen's seasoned gaze pause with appreciation.

But what struck him most was the bitter defiance in her gaze.

As if she'd chosen to burn herself alive before surrendering her pride.

"Hmm. And here I thought the heavens were finally done throwing mature beauties at me," Lin Chen quipped aloud, stepping into view.

The woman's head jerked up. Her eyes narrowed. "You… you're not with them?"

Lin Chen tilted his head. "Depends who 'them' is. If you mean a bunch of bastards who chain up alchemists for ransom or worse, then no, I'm not with them."

She relaxed slightly but didn't smile. "Then you should leave. This place is cursed. Those beasts… they're not natural."

Lin Chen's eyes flicked to the scorched bodies. "Demonic beasts? They have qi signatures far beyond normal mutations."

"I was forced to concoct enhancement pills for them," she said bitterly. "Modified my own furnace under duress. It caused a spiritual backlash… They lost control."

"And your captors?"

"Dead. Or fled. But they may return."

Lin Chen grinned, crouching beside her. "Then I should help you before they do."

She hesitated. "Why?"

"Because you're a beautiful woman in distress," Lin Chen said matter-of-factly. "Also because I'm collecting debts from experienced women lately. It's becoming a bit of a hobby."

She blinked. "You're not serious."

"I'm always serious," Lin Chen replied, examining the chains. "And besides… you owe me one now."

With a surge of his qi, he activated the Yin-Devouring Flow, directing precise slivers of qi into the locks. They sizzled, struggled… then shattered with a flash.

Her wrists fell free.

Lin Chen offered his hand. "I'm Lin Chen. And you are?"

"…Qin Yuyan," she said cautiously, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "Alchemist of the Crimson Lotus Pavilion. Formerly."

"Formerly?"

She looked away. "I… fled. After killing a corrupt elder who tried to take me as his furnace."

Lin Chen's grin faded slightly. His voice lowered. "You've suffered."

She raised her head. "I endured. That's all."

He nodded, his gaze solemn now. "Well then, Madam Qin Yuyan. Consider yourself rescued by a shameless junior."

She snorted. "You're certainly shameless."

"Wait till I ask for repayment," Lin Chen teased. "But let's get you out of here first. You're injured."

"Not badly. But I can't fight."

"No need," he said, scanning the perimeter. "Leave that to me."

Suddenly, the ground trembled. A guttural howl split the air.

From the northern ridge, three figures appeared. Their robes bore the emblem of the Black Horn Syndicate — a notorious group of rogue cultivators and traffickers.

The leader, a man with silver-streaked hair and a snake-headed staff, grinned when he saw her.

"Well, well, Madam Qin," he sneered. "You're still alive. That brat broke the chains, did he?"

Lin Chen stepped in front of her, sword flashing. "This brat is still deciding whether to leave your corpses whole or in chunks."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Qi Condensation? You're courting death."

Lin Chen chuckled. "Say that again when you're on your knees, choking on your own teeth."

The battle exploded.

The two underlings rushed forward first, blades glowing with corrupted qi. Lin Chen vanished into a blur, reappearing behind one with a downward slash that carved straight through his shoulder and into his lung.

The man crumpled, screaming.

The second hesitated — too late. Lin Chen's sword twisted mid-air, cutting through his side in an elegant arc. Blood sprayed.

Only the leader remained.

"You dare kill my men?!" he bellowed, summoning a massive serpent phantom with his staff.

Lin Chen's Dual Sovereign System pulsed. The enemy's qi was on par with a Tier 2 Demonic Beast — early Foundation Establishment.

But Lin Chen's battle-honed instincts surged. He activated the Heavenly Merging Cauldron, circulating both yang and yin in harmony. His sword erupted with blue-white light.

The serpent lunged — Lin Chen dashed forward to meet it.

Their clash split the air with a sonic boom. Qi and venom hissed against his blade. The force of the impact cracked the cliffside. Lin Chen's robes tore further — but his feet never budged.

He ducked, sidestepped, and slammed his sword upward — slicing through the serpent's neck. The phantom shattered.

The leader staggered, eyes wide. "Impossible…"

Lin Chen's voice was calm. "Wrong. I'm just warming up."

With a final surge, he stabbed through the man's chest — straight through the spiritual core hidden there.

The rogue spasmed and collapsed, his staff crumbling.

Silence returned to the glade.

Lin Chen flicked his blade clean and turned back to Qin Yuyan.

She stared, not with fear — but with deep curiosity.

"You're not normal."

"I'm exceptional," Lin Chen said with a wink. "Also, you still owe me a favor."

She sighed, amused despite herself. "I suppose I do."

"Let's call it… a future dinner and a second meeting. You can cook pills. I'll cook noodles."

She laughed softly — her first laugh in years.

"Fine. But only if you survive long enough to find me again."

Lin Chen smiled.

[End of Chapter 30]