The Ironwood Sect's main plaza buzzed with excitement as news spread:
"The Crimson Tomb has been uncovered."
"A joint mission with three sects!"
"Ancient relics buried beneath blood-forged stone!"
Fang Xi said nothing as he listened from the shadows of the northern corridor. But behind his calm eyes, pieces moved.
A tomb hidden since the Immortal War era… opened now, conveniently, right after I received the Soul Echo.
This isn't a coincidence. It's bait.
He didn't care.
Bait could still be used — by the right hands.
📜 Mission Briefing
In the Flamewood Hall, the three chosen stood again:
Shui Fang, elegant and proud, now wearing a new white sash — the Inner Disciple token.
Han Yuren, cold and silent, blades strapped across his back.
Fang Xi, unassuming, distant — eyes always calculating.
Elder Hua stood at the head of the hall.
"You three will represent Ironwood Sect on a joint exploration. The Crimson Tomb was discovered two days ago in the borderlands near Ashlight Gorge."
She continued:
"Falling Rock Sect and the Night Talisman Sect will send disciples as well. You will not be allies, but observers. Use this as an opportunity — to learn, or to dominate. I do not care."
Her gaze lingered on Fang Xi. Just a second too long.
She knows I've found something… but not what.
👥 New Faces
That afternoon, as the teams assembled at the outer gate, Fang Xi met his first new rival:
Lu Shuwei – Night Talisman Sect. Thin smile. Paper-white robes. He carried five talismans on his belt and looked at Fang Xi as if reading his soul.
Xiang Rou – Falling Rock Sect. A tall girl with sharp eyes and a cold, military bearing. She walked like someone used to command, not request.
Yan Sui – A wild card. Smirking, flirtatious. Wore no insignia, but traveled with the Night Talisman team.
"Call me a guest disciple," he said, eyes lingering a second too long on Fang Xi.
Fang Xi's instincts prickled.
That one's dangerous. Not for his strength — but for his unpredictability.
🔧 Quiet Preparations
That evening, in the dark of his quarters, Fang Xi meditated again.
He replayed the Soul Echo.
Felt Yun Zhao's rage.
Felt his despair.
And through it all — his silence.
You trusted no one. You died alone. But you left pieces of yourself… because you still wanted to be found.
He opened his eyes and recorded two glyphs he had glimpsed in the Echo:
Crimson Seal Script – A fragment of ancient language possibly tied to the tomb's origin.
He also began cultivating again — threading his 7th Qi strand, stabilizing it through pain and silence.
Soon the 8th. Then 9th. Then Foundation.
But not yet.
Not until he understood what lay beneath the tomb.
🕵️ A Shadow Watches
Unseen by the others, deep within the sect, a man in gray robes knelt before a jade mirror.
Within the mirror flickered a blurred image — Fang Xi walking calmly through the gate.
The man spoke:
"Subject Fang. Layer 7. Rune activity confirmed."
Another voice crackled through the mirror.
"Do not interfere yet. Let him open the tomb."
The man bowed.
"As the Eye of Balance commands."
🌄 Departure
At dawn, the group departed.
Nine disciples from three sects.
Fang Xi rode near the back of the convoy, eyes fixed ahead, speaking to no one.
Only Jiang Ping, walking nearby, dared whisper:
"You think we'll find treasure, senior?"
Fang Xi smiled faintly.
"No. We'll find corpses."
Jiang Ping gulped.