Ironbloom Valley's cliffs loomed like shattered skulls under a fractured sky, the Void Realm's crimson stars pulsing like open wounds. The air carried the tang of blood and ash, ley-line energy clawing at the senses. Xun Wei, sixteen, stood alone in the Abyssal Hollow's depths, his black robes tattered from the Shadowclaw Ape hunt, blood crusting on a shallow gash across his chest. His boyish face, serene as a frozen pond, masked a god-level soul, its divine power—stolen in a past life 300 years hence—suppressed to spare his meridians, now hardened at Immortal Shaping Stage Late. His Void Dantian churned, a vortex of crimson and golden qi, the Dual Path of Eternity anchoring his cultivation at Core Formation Late, Harmony Stage Early, quadrupling his power. The righteous Light of Serenity cloaked his demonic arsenal—Crimson Fang Technique, Blood Thorn Technique, Soulfang Bind, Mindveil Clarity, Soulreap Grasp, Memory Extraction, Abyssal Leech, Celestial Harmony Technique, Harmonic Leech Pulse, and Ironfang Slash. His second foundation, a deceptive righteous qi reservoir, shielded his true nature from the Celestial Mandate and Ironbloom's watchful elders.
The Dual Path, forged in his past life as a talentless D-grade cultivator, blended righteous and demonic qi, its stages—Initiation, Fusion, Harmony, Transcendence—guiding his ascent. At Harmony Early, his soul arts refined, his Immortal Shaping Late body endured quadruple power, holding 25% of his god-level soul's might. His goal was Celestial Ascension Stage Middle, a Sky Immortal physique to unleash his full divine power, rendering him unmatched against Immortal foes. Unlike Hua Ling and Kai Ren, bound by mortal souls and single-path cultivation, Xun Wei's god-level soul absorbed qi effortlessly, his Dual Path amplifying gains through kills and Memory Extraction, stealing skills like Shadowclaw Rend and Ironfang Slash.
The sect simmered with discord, Elder Yan's demonic taint and Zhao Fen's death fracturing trust. Xun Wei's whispers had turned the First Elder, Heavenstage Middle, against Elder Cang, Core Formation Late, whose Starflow Technique flickered with waning authority. Wei Tao, Foundation Late, his Ironfist Technique glowing silver, emerged as a rival, his sharp eyes tracking Xun Wei's every move. Mei Lian's tearful confession lingered in Xun Wei's mind—not as guilt, but a reminder of weakness to exploit. The Abyssal Hollow's broken altar, etched with Yan's runes, hinted at a demonic lord and a silver-robed girl, possibly Zhao Lin, a Mandate pawn from his past life's kill. These shadows fueled his revenge against the Mandate's cosmic tyranny, his path to dominance paved with blood.
In the Hall of Eternal Roots, dawn broke with a blood-red glow, the air heavy with the stench of incense and fear. Elder Cang stood before the Inner Disciples, his Starflow Technique casting faint constellations across his robes, his sunken eyes fixed on Xun Wei. "The Shadowclaw Apes bore Yan's taint," he rasped, voice sharp as a blade. "Their demonic cores suggest a deeper corruption. Xun Wei, you led the hunt for shadow wolves—yet three disciples died. Explain."
Xun Wei bowed, his serene facade flawless, Light of Serenity radiating purity. "The wolves overwhelmed the weak, Elder," he said, voice flat. "I felled five alone, their cores cleansed. Weakness invites death—this is the world's law." His eyes met Cang's, unyielding, a predator cloaked in humility.
Kai Ren, Foundation Middle, his Thundercoil Technique crackling, sneered from the crowd. "You let them die, Xun Wei. Hero or coward?" Hua Ling, Foundation Middle, her Jade Blossom Technique trembling, clutched her robes, whispering, "He's too cold…"
Wei Tao stepped forward, his Ironfist Technique flaring silver, his glare cutting like a knife. "You abandoned us," he spat. "I saw you slip away, hogging the kills. Those disciples had families."
Xun Wei's smile was a blade, his voice ice. "The world doesn't mourn the weak, Wei Tao. They were chaff, blown away by reality's wind. Step carefully, or you'll join them."
The crowd stiffened, murmurs rippling like venom. Elder Cang's qi surged, a starry storm pressing the room. "Enough," he barked. "Xun Wei, your skill is undeniable, but your heart is a void. Prove your loyalty in the Trial of Crimson Veins—a beast hunt in the Hollow's core, where demonic qi festers. Bring back the Abyssal Wyrm's core, or face exile."
The First Elder, his Heavenstage Middle qi heavy with grief, nodded from the pavilion. "Cleanse Yan's shame, boy," he rumbled. "Succeed, and I'll grant you the Ironbloom Codex's forbidden tome—the Starshatter Palm, a righteous art that crushes qi barriers."
Xun Wei bowed, his mind calculating. The Abyssal Wyrm, Core Formation Peak, was a serpent of demonic qi, its scales hard as jade, its breath a corrosive miasma. A solo hunt would strengthen his Immortal Shaping body, pushing him toward Celestial Ascension Early. The Starshatter Palm would enhance his righteous facade, merging with Ironfang Slash for a new technique. Wei Tao's hostility was a spark to stoke, his rivalry a tool to sharpen.
"I hunt alone," Xun Wei said, eyes glinting. "The wyrm's mine."
Wei Tao's fists clenched, silver qi flaring. "I'm joining you," he growled. "You won't ditch me like the others."
Xun Wei's serene mask didn't waver. "Try to keep up," he said, voice cold, already planning to use Wei Tao as bait if needed.
At dusk, the Abyssal Hollow's depths swallowed light, its crimson runes pulsing like heartbeats in the dark. The air reeked of sulfur and decay, demonic qi clawing at Xun Wei's senses. His Phantom Wisp Technique cloaked him in shadow, crimson tendrils masking his qi as he descended, Wei Tao trailing, his Ironfist Technique glowing faintly. The chasm's floor was littered with bones, some human, their whispers gnawing at lesser souls. Xun Wei's god-level soul brushed them aside, his Void Dantian a furnace of crimson and golden qi.
"Stay back," Xun Wei said, voice flat, eyes scanning the dark. "The wyrm senses weakness."
Wei Tao snarled, "I'm not your pawn." His silver qi flared, alerting the beast.
A roar shook the chasm, the Abyssal Wyrm erupting from the earth, its black scales glinting, eyes like molten rubies. Its Core Formation Peak qi flooded the air, miasma burning the ground. Wei Tao lunged, his Ironfist smashing its flank, but the scales held, the wyrm's tail lashing him into a wall, blood spraying from his mouth.
Xun Wei moved, Ironfang Slash unleashing green claws that tore the wyrm's side, blood hissing as it hit the ground. Harmonic Leech Pulse followed, a crimson-gold wave draining its qi, weakening its aura. The wyrm roared, miasma scorching Xun Wei's arm, pain lancing through his meridians, but his Immortal Shaping Late body endured, Light of Serenity stabilizing his qi. He darted forward, Blood Thorn Technique summoning crimson vines that pierced the wyrm's underbelly, siphoning vitality. Its thrashing slowed, eyes dimming.
Wei Tao staggered up, his qi flickering, and smashed the wyrm's head, cracking a scale. "You don't get all the glory," he gasped, blood dripping.
Xun Wei's eyes narrowed, Soulfang Bind pulsing invisibly, crimson tendrils coiling around Wei Tao's soul, sowing subtle doubt. "Glory's for fools," he said, voice cold. "Finish it, or die."
The wyrm lunged, jaws snapping. Xun Wei's Celestial Harmony Technique flared, aligning his qi with the heavens, a golden pulse shattering its fangs. He plunged his hand into its throat, Crimson Fang Technique ripping out its demonic core—a pulsing black orb. The beast collapsed, its body withering into ash. Xun Wei activated Memory Extraction, crimson-gold sigils weaving into its fading soul, seizing Abyssal Fang Strike, a venomous bite technique amplifying his Crimson Fang. His meridians screamed, blood seeping from his pores, but his god-level soul stabilized the influx, pushing his cultivation to Heavenstage Early, Harmony Stage Middle. His body edged toward Celestial Ascension Early, resilience surging.
Wei Tao glared, clutching his ribs. "You used me as bait," he spat.
Xun Wei's smile was ice. "You survived. Be grateful." His Soulfang Bind tightened, Wei Tao's eyes glazing briefly before he shook it off, unaware of the leash.
Back in Ironbloom Valley, Xun Wei presented the wyrm's core to the First crom First Elder in the Pavilion of Iron Will. His Light of Serenity radiated purity, cloaking his demonic surge. "Yan's taint birthed the wyrm," he said, voice flat. "Cang's oversight let it grow. I purged it alone."
The First Elder's eyes darkened, his Skyclad Vigil Technique flaring. "Cang fails us," he rumbled, handing Xun Wei the Starshatter Palm scroll. "You've earned this. Master it, and you'll lead the Inner Disciples."
Elder Cang, in the Hall of Eternal Roots, confronted Xun Wei, his Starflow Technique heavy. "You turned the First Elder against me," he snarled. "I'll expose your shadow, boy."
Xun Wei bowed, his serene mask perfect. "Expose what you can't prove, Elder. The world buries the weak." He slipped a forged demonic talisman into Cang's quarters that night, its qi mimicking Yan's taint, sealing Cang's fate.
In his dorm, Xun Wei meditated, merging Starshatter Palm with Ironfang Slash. The new technique, Starfang Crush, unleashed green-gold claws that shattered a stone wall, qi barriers crumbling under its force. His Void Dantian roared, meridians warm but unyielding, his Immortal Shaping Late body absorbing the strain. A vision struck—Zhao Lin, silver-robed, Mandate sigils glowing, her qi vast. She wasn't the sister he killed; she was a stranger, a Mandate tool. His fist clenched, no guilt, only resolve to crush her.
In the Void Realm's temple, divine waters churned, a crimson ouroboros tightening. A golden-robed being hissed, "The heretic's power grows… unnatural."
An ancient voice, cold as iron, replied, "His kin may bind him, or the laws will descend."
"Let the hosts rise," the being intoned. "His blood will stain the void."