In the shadowed recesses of his mind, Xun Wei contemplated the Dual Path of Eternity, a heretical method forged in his past life as a D-grade cultivator in Ironbloom Valley, 300 years hence. The righteous Light of Serenity bathed his meridians in golden warmth, anchoring his soul, while the demonic Crimson Fang Technique slithered like a blood-red serpent, siphoning life essence from others' dantians. Their synergy shattered the Celestial Mandate's boundaries, promising ascension beyond mortal realms, but required a god-level soul to negate qi deviation and soul dissonance. Xun Wei's soul, infused with divine power stolen in his past life, held this balance, though his mortal body strained to contain it. The Dual Path had four tiers: Initiation, a fragile synergy doubling power; Fusion, a stable balance tripling output, enabling techniques like Soulfang Bind; Harmony, perfect unity quadrupling might, amplifying soul-based arts; and Transcendence, rivaling Immortal Realms, achievable only with a Sky Immortal body. At the Fusion Tier, Xun Wei aimed for Harmony, his second foundation—a deceptive righteous qi reservoir—cloaking his demonic nature from the Mandate and sect elders.
The Hall of Shattered Oaths loomed in Ironbloom Valley, its obsidian pillars cracked like broken spines, runes pulsing with blood-red qi. The air reeked of ash and betrayal, ley-line energy clawing at the soul. Xun Wei, Core Formation Middle, stood at the hall's edge, his black robes pristine, his serene face masking a god-level soul suppressing divine power that could burst his meridians. His Void Dantian churned with crimson and golden qi, the Dual Path driving his ascent without traditional cultivation. His focus was strengthening his body to Sky Immortal level, the Dual Path enhancing his righteous facade to deceive Ironbloom's elders.
Zhao Fen, Foundation Middle, her Frostwind Technique flickering like a dying ember, stood before a jade tablet, her face pale, qi unstable from the Abyssal Hollow trap. As the granddaughter of the First Elder, Heavenstage Middle, her faltering drew whispers. Hua Ling, Foundation Early, her Jade Blossom Technique radiating gentleness, whispered to Kai Ren, Foundation Middle, his Thundercoil Technique crackling. "She's broken," Kai Ren sneered. Zhao Fen's eyes burned with pride, her public demeanor intact, but in Xun Wei's presence, the Soulfang Bind—born from the Soulrend Talisman—bound her soul. Crimson tendrils coiled invisibly, forcing obedience. Alone, she knelt, her voice hollow. "Master Wei, your will is mine."
"Spread rumors of Elder Yan's treachery," Xun Wei commanded, his tone flat. "In public, remain proud." Zhao Fen nodded, resuming her defiance as disciples approached, none suspecting her enslavement. Xun Wei's cold mind calculated: her status would sway the First Elder, her discord fracturing the sect.
In the Hall of Eternal Roots, Elder Cang, Core Formation Late, his Starflow Technique casting constellations, lectured Inner Disciples. "Righteous cultivation demands sacrifice," he rasped, revealing a jade scroll. "The Mindveil Clarity, a forbidden righteous art, enhances soul perception, glimpsing others' thoughts. Mishandled, it risks soul dissonance." He tossed it to Xun Wei. "Master it, or face expulsion."
Xun Wei bowed, his serene facade hiding his intent. The Mindveil Clarity would amplify his Light of Serenity, perfect for his Dual Path's righteous facade. That evening, Elder Yan, Core Formation Peak, summoned him to the Chamber of Silent Fangs, his crimson robes billowing. "You've stirred discord, weed," Yan growled, offering a blood-red scroll. "The Soulreap Grasp rips soul fragments, sowing pain. Learn it, and watch Zhao Fen." Xun Wei accepted, sensing Yan's demonic ties—a secret he'd uncover when he surpassed him at Heavenstage Early, using a new skill to extract his memories.
In a hidden grotto beneath the Withering Cliff, Xun Wei trained, his Void Dantian a furnace. The Mindveil Clarity wove golden qi into his soul, sharpening his perception to glimpse fleeting thoughts. The Soulreap Grasp summoned crimson claws, tearing soul fragments from a captured spirit beast, its screams fading as it withered. Combining them via the Dual Path, Xun Wei theorized a new skill: by merging thought-glimpsing with soul-ripping, he could extract memories and skills from the slain. His god-level soul stabilized the volatile synergy, his second foundation cloaking the demonic surge. Blood seeped from his pores, meridians screaming, but the technique snapped into place: Memory Extraction, a crimson-gold sigil pulsing in his mind, capable of reading a victim's memories and stealing their skills upon death.
The influx pushed his cultivation to Core Formation Late, reaching the Harmony Tier, quadrupling his power. His body groaned, but the second foundation stabilized the strain, his Sky Immortal goal closer. He tested Memory Extraction on the beast's corpse, glimpsing its primal instincts and extracting a minor claw technique, confirming the skill's potential. When he killed Elder Yan, Yan's demonic techniques and connections would be his.
At dawn, Xun Wei met Zhao Fen in the training grounds, her Frostwind misfiring, drawing gasps. In private, she knelt, her soul bound. "Elder Yan's treachery grows," she reported, her voice hollow, spreading his planted lies. Xun Wei nodded, his serene mask perfect, his mind on the First Elder.
In the Pavilion of Iron Will, the First Elder, Heavenstage Middle, his qi a storm, confronted Xun Wei. "Zhao Fen falters," he rumbled. "You guided her—why?"
Xun Wei bowed, his Light of Serenity radiating purity. "Her ambition blinds her, Elder. I stabilized her qi. Grant me oversight, and I'll cure her." The elder's trust deepened, a tool to shatter the sect.
In the Void Realm's temple, divine waters rippled, reflecting a crimson serpent. A golden-robed being hissed, "The heretic extracts souls… unnatural."
An ancient voice replied, cold as iron. "His web chokes him."
"Intervene?"
"Not yet. His ruin looms."