The protective formation around Qingxiao Sect trembled slightly in the dead of night.
There was no bell toll, no alarm—only a flicker of dimming spirit light at the array's edge.
"Hm?"
That night, Lin Ce was patrolling outside the Hidden Technique Pavilion.
As a fresh recruit in the Dark Division, he'd been assigned to the night watch—not to maintain order, but to act as bait.
A senior from the division had said casually:
"If you survive, you'll get promoted."
Lin Ce had immediately checked the contents of his pockets—
Escape Talisman, Death-Substitute Parasite, Fake Blood, Poison Dust, Blast Sigils, and a palm-sized Shrinking Puppet.
[System prompt: Danger index fluctuating. Recommend initiating Level-1 Survival Protocol.]
"Level one?" Lin Ce narrowed his eyes.
"Guess it's not that serious."
And then—the fog arrived.
A pale mist rose silently from the base of the mountain, creeping over the outer sect disciples' quarters.
It held no spiritual fluctuations, but any disciple below Qi Refining dropped unconscious on inhaling.
Lin Ce stood in the courtyard before the Hidden Technique Pavilion, quietly watching the fog climb the steps.
Moments later, three figures emerged from the mist.
Clad in black robes, faceless, exuding a deathly chill.
—Nascent Soul-level ghost cultivators.
"Qingxiao Sect… what a pity."
One of them murmured, voice like sand scraping metal.
"Quick. Retrieve the Map," another rasped. "In and out. Don't alert the inner sect."
Lin Ce's mind raced.
This wasn't a test or a petty theft.
This was a coordinated infiltration aimed squarely at something hidden within the pavilion.
[System prompt: Enemy combat power exceeds tolerance. Suggested responses:]
A. Activate all Blast Sigils for a suicidal detonation—take three with you.
B. Use camouflage techniques to play dead—reduce your presence.
C. Initiate hidden quest "Operation Catfish" — feign surrender and gather intel.
Lin Ce: "I choose D. Run."
[System prompt: Autonomous Tactical Override confirmed…]
With a flick of his fingers, he dropped a Smoke Sigil from his sleeve—
A dense, choking fog burst upward, obscuring vision and triggering coughing fits.
Taking advantage of the distraction, he dropped flat to the ground and slipped through a doghole-like crack in the back wall, using his Shrinking Puppet to wriggle inside.
The Dark Division doesn't breed heroes. It breeds survivors.
Inside the hidden passage, Lin Ce fled while releasing a handful of tracking bugs, which latched onto the ghost cultivators unnoticed.
[System prompt: Hidden quest triggered — "Echoes of the Enemy"]
[Mission goal: Record enemy identities, target, and spell paths.]
[Reward preview: Choice of cultivation technique ×1, +1 Spiritual Sense, 1 "Shen Changsheng Quote"]
Lin Ce whispered,
"Begin recording."
Pressed against the stone wall, he watched the ghost cultivators plundering the pavilion.
They muttered about something called the Soul-Reversal Map and a figure known as the Nine-Soul Lord.
"Too much killing—the map is fragmenting."
"This sect's fate is nearly severed. Perfect for offering souls to the master."
Lin Ce's expression darkened.
These weren't rogue ghosts—
They were part of a massive sacrificial cult.
"System, mark the route."
[Route marked. Mission completion: 82%.]
Just as he prepared to slip away—
A familiar voice rang out ahead.
"Who's there!?"
Su Qingyu—top five in the outer sect rankings, one of the rare righteous prodigies of Qingxiao Sect.
She had tracked the intruders as well and now prepared to confront all three head-on.
Lin Ce's face twisted.
"This woman has zero concept of survival tactics…"
But in the next moment, his gaze turned icy.
If Su Qingyu died here, his tracking bugs would be destroyed along with her.
He made a decision.
[System prompt: Choose an action—]
A. Escape and preserve information.
B. Pretend to assist and protect the bugs.
C. Engage directly — Not recommended.
Lin Ce raised an eyebrow. "B."
In the blink of an eye, he leapt from the secret passage, cloaked in his Ghost Cultivator Disguise Cape, and drove a soul needle into one ghost cultivator's back.
"Traitor?!" the ghost shouted, stunned.
Su Qingyu froze.
"Go," Lin Ce said coldly. "I can't hold them off for long."
[System prompt: Evaluation—High risk, low rationality, tactically effective.]
Reward unlocked — Shen Changsheng Quote:
"If striking can save lives, don't hesitate.
Because you might not get another chance to run."
Su Qingyu gritted her teeth.
"You're…?"
"Someone unimportant," Lin Ce replied, soul needle spinning as formation sigils flared behind him.
"Run."
She wasn't stupid. She ran.
Lin Ce, meanwhile, triggered his Escape Talisman—his figure turned into a streak of blood-red light and vanished.
When he returned to the Dark Division's underground base,
he was covered in wounds but had brought back enemy intel, survival rates, and mission intent.
That night, his system interface changed.
[Title upgrade: Silent Blade → Soul-Hook in the Mist]
[Rewards: Soul Needle Enhancement, Fog-Step Technique ×1, Trust Level +10]
Leaning against the cold stone wall, Lin Ce muttered:
"I lived. Again."
In a hidden corner of his system panel,
a new quote from Shen Changsheng quietly unlocked:
"Survival isn't cowardice.
It's waiting for the moment when your blade will do the most damage."