The Abyssal Hollow yawned beneath Ironbloom Valley, a jagged chasm where the air thickened with demonic qi, its walls veined with crimson runes that pulsed like infected wounds. The ground was littered with blackened bones, remnants of ancient sacrifices, their whispers clawing at the edges of sanity. Xun Wei, Core Formation Early, stood at the chasm's edge, his black robes pristine against the sickly glow of a blood-red moon. His serene face masked a god-level soul, his Void Dantian a vortex of crimson and golden qi, the Dual Path of Eternity—forged in his past life 300 years hence—driving his ascent. The righteous Light of Serenity cloaked his demonic Crimson Fang Technique and Blood Thorn Technique, maintaining his facade as a righteous cultivator. His body, still adjusting to the stolen power fused with his soul, ached under the strain, but his second foundation—a deceptive qi reservoir radiating purity—grew stronger, shielding his true nature from the Celestial Mandate's gaze and Ironbloom's elders.
Zhao Fen, Foundation Middle, her Frostwind Technique chilling the air, emerged from the shadows, her black hair tied in a severe knot, her eyes sharp with suspicion and pride. As the granddaughter of the First Elder, Heavenstage Middle, the strongest cultivator in Ironbloom Valley and one of the continent's mightiest, her status was a gilded chain Xun Wei intended to wield. "This better not be a trick, cousin," she hissed, her qi flaring like a winter storm. "Where's the qi vein you promised?"
Xun Wei's smile was serene, his voice flat. "Patience, Zhao Fen. The vein lies deeper, where the Hollow's qi converges. Follow, and we'll claim it together."
Her eyes narrowed, but her pride—stoked by her recent humiliation at his hands—drove her forward. Xun Wei led her into the chasm, his Phantom Wisp Technique cloaking their descent in shadow, its crimson tendrils masking their qi signatures. The trap was set: the Hollow's floor was laced with Blood Thorn runes, primed to destabilize Zhao Fen's qi without killing her. Her downfall would be slow, her reputation tarnished, her value as a pawn preserved for manipulating the First Elder and the sect.
As they reached the chasm's heart, a pulse of demonic qi erupted, the runes igniting in a crimson blaze. Zhao Fen stumbled, her Frostwind flaring instinctively, but the thorns—invisible to her—pierced her meridians, siphoning a sliver of her vitality. She gasped, clutching her chest, her qi flickering chaotically. "What is this?!" she snarled, her eyes wild.
Xun Wei turned, his serene mask intact. "A miscalculation, cousin. The Hollow's qi is unstable. We must retreat." He offered a hand, his voice dripping with false concern, but his Crimson Fang pulsed, amplifying the thorns' drain. Zhao Fen slapped his hand away, her pride blinding her to his deception. She staggered upward, her qi weakened, her pale face etched with fury. Xun Wei followed, his cold mind calculating: her instability would spark rumors, eroding her standing, while her survival ensured her grandfather's influence remained his to exploit.
Back in Ironbloom Valley, whispers spread like venom. Zhao Fen's collapse during a public sparring session, her Frostwind misfiring into a feeble gust, drew gasps from disciples. Hua Ling, Foundation Early, her Jade Blossom Technique radiating gentleness, whispered to Kai Ren, Foundation Middle, his Thundercoil Technique crackling with bravado. "She's not herself since the Hollow," Hua Ling murmured. Kai Ren sneered, "The First Elder's pride won't save her now." Xun Wei, observing from the sidelines, maintained his serene facade, his Light of Serenity cloaking his involvement. The First Elder, a towering figure with a beard like iron wire, watched from the elder's pavilion, his Heavenstage Middle qi a storm held at bay, his eyes narrowing at his granddaughter's failure.
Xun Wei seized the moment, approaching Elder Cang, Core Formation Late, whose Starflow Technique cast constellations across his robes. "Elder, Zhao Fen's instability threatens the sect's honor," he said, his voice flat, his eyes deferential. "Allow me to guide her recovery, for the First Elder's sake." Cang's sunken eyes studied him, sensing a shadow beneath his serenity, but nodded. "Do so, Inner Disciple. Fail, and face demotion."
Xun Wei bowed, his mind ice. Guiding Zhao Fen would bind her closer, her gratitude—or desperation—a leash to control her and sway the First Elder.
That night, in the Chamber of Silent Fangs, Xun Wei faced Elder Yan, Core Formation Peak, his crimson robes billowing like spilled blood. The obsidian altar pulsed with sacrificial qi, its runes writhing like worms. Yan's yellowed teeth glinted, his Blood Thorn Technique a venomous aura. "You've stirred the Hollow, weed," he rasped. "Zhao Fen's fall begins, but the sect watches. Prove your worth, or join the altar's stains."
Xun Wei's serene mask hid his disdain. Yan's greed for power was a flaw, his mentorship a trap to bind him as a pawn. "I seek greater strength, Elder," he said, his tone flat. "Your Blood Thorn is potent, but your heritage holds deeper arts. Share them, and I'll deliver Zhao Fen's secrets."
Yan's eyes glinted, his qi probing like a blade. "Bold, weed. The Soulrend Talisman is my clan's heart—a relic that amplifies demonic qi, binding souls to your will. It's hidden in the Forbidden Vault, guarded by my blood wards. Steal it, and it's yours—but cross me, and your soul burns."
Xun Wei calculated, his god-level mind dissecting Yan's words. The vault was a death trap, but Yan's trust was a weapon. "I understand," he replied, bowing, his voice a cold promise of betrayal.
Using the Phantom Wisp Technique, Xun Wei infiltrated the Forbidden Vault, a labyrinth of obsidian and blood-soaked wards. The Soulrend Talisman glowed within a jade casket, its demonic qi a siren's call. Yan's wards lashed out, crimson thorns tearing at his qi, but his Light of Serenity deflected them, his god-level soul negating their taint. He seized the talisman, its power surging into his Void Dantian, amplifying his Crimson Fang and Blood Thorn. His meridians screamed, blood seeping from his pores, but his second foundation stabilized the influx, cloaking the demonic surge in righteous qi. Yan's wards triggered an alarm, but Xun Wei vanished, leaving a forged qi signature—Zhao Fen's—to mislead the sect.
In his secluded dorm, Xun Wei meditated, integrating the Soulrend Talisman into his Dual Path. The talisman's soul-binding power merged with his Crimson Fang, creating a new technique: Soulfang Bind, capable of enslaving weaker cultivators' wills. His Void Pulse Technique stabilized the demonic surge, enhancing his righteous facade. The influx pushed his cultivation from Core Formation Early to Core Formation Middle, his Void Dantian a roaring vortex. His body groaned, meridians straining, but the second foundation grew stronger, a flawless deception against the Mandate's gaze. He recalled a past life ritual: draining Zhao Lin's qi in Abyssal Hollow, her husk fueling his rise. Zhao Fen's turn would come, her sacrifice a key to sway the First Elder and shatter the sect's unity.
The next dawn, Elder Yan confronted Xun Wei in the Hall of Flames, his qi a suffocating chain. "The vault was breached, weed," he snarled. "Zhao Fen's signature was found. Explain."
Xun Wei's serene mask was perfect, his voice flat. "Her ambition outstripped her skill, Elder. She sought power and failed. I'll ensure her silence, for the sect's sake." He offered a forged jade slip, detailing Zhao Fen's "trespass," laced with half-truths.
Yan's eyes narrowed, suspicion warring with greed. "Clever, weed. Watch her, and report. Fail, and the altar awaits." He turned away, unaware of the talisman's loss, his trust in Xun Wei a crack Xun Wei would widen.
In the Void Realm's heart, the Celestial Mandate's temple trembled. Divine waters rippled, reflecting a crimson serpent. A golden-robed being stirred, its voice a hiss. "The heretic's deception deepens… unnatural."
An ancient, mechanical voice replied, cold as iron. "He weaves a web. Let it tighten."
"Intervene?"
"Not yet. His rise will be his ruin."