The Sky Needle rose like a silver blade piercing the night sky. Located at the edge of the Skyward Conclave, it was an ancient monument said to be crafted from a fallen star and imbued with the wisdom of the cosmos. Very few were allowed to enter, and fewer still returned with their sanity intact.
Lin Sheng stood at the base of the towering spire just before midnight. The air crackled with latent energy. Ethereal symbols shimmered on the surface of the Sky Needle, rotating slowly in languages long lost to mortals.
[System Scan: Temporal Flow Distortion detected. Dimensional fold proximity—high. Recommend caution.]
He pressed his hand against the surface. It responded with a quiet hum, and the symbols coalesced to form a doorway. With a breath, he stepped through.
Inside, the world shifted. Time slowed. Gravity altered. He found himself in a circular chamber with no visible walls—just endless starfields and constellations spinning slowly around him. In the center of the room, a figure awaited.
She was cloaked in starlight, her eyes glowing silver. Her aura was powerful but restrained, like a sword returned to its sheath. She stepped forward.
"You came."
"You sent the scroll?" Lin Sheng asked.
She nodded. "I am Yue Lan, of the Celestial Veil Sect. And I believe we share a common enemy."
He raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
Yue Lan turned and projected a series of illusions into the sky around them. Images appeared: Elders cloaked in darkness, armies of spirit beasts, and a sigil—the split lotus entwined with a serpent.
"This is the Serpent Root Faction. They operate in shadows, corrupting sects from within. Their goal is not just dominance, but destabilization. They fear balance."
Lin Sheng recognized the emblem from the scroll.
"Why involve me?"
Yue Lan's voice softened. "Because you are not of this realm. Because you challenge fate and break systems meant to bind. They already fear you. But more importantly... I believe you are the key to disrupting their design."
He studied her for a moment. "And what do you want in return?"
A shadow of sadness crossed her face. "I want vengeance. They murdered my sect, my family. I swore an oath beneath the Celestial Eclipse to end their reign. Alone, I cannot do it. But together... perhaps we can rewrite the script."
[System Prompt: Optional Quest Triggered – "Conspiracy of the Sky Needle." Objective: Uncover the Serpent Root's infiltration network. Rewards: Unknown.]
Lin Sheng accepted without hesitation. "Then we begin tonight."
Yue Lan led him to a secret archive within the Sky Needle, where forbidden texts and ancient records lay hidden from the immortal realm. She showed him documents detailing Serpent Root agents embedded within prominent sects: traitor elders in the Dawnfire Monastery, corrupted guards in the Heaven-Binding Army, even rumors of a corrupted Immortal Lord within the Assembly.
"You're saying the Assembly may be compromised?" he asked, frowning.
"Not just compromised. Controlled," Yue Lan said grimly. "If their influence extends to the Lords themselves, then the celestial succession trials will be a farce."
Lin Sheng considered the implications. The entire path to godhood, the Immortal Ascension Ladders, the merit systems—all corrupted by hidden hands. He clenched his fists.
"Then we need proof. And we need allies."
She nodded. "I've already reached out to several like-minded factions. One of them is preparing to expose a Serpent Root ritual site hidden beneath the Stormbreak Archipelago. But we need someone to go."
Lin Sheng smiled. "I'll go."
Three days later, Lin Sheng stood aboard the Skyblade Serpent, an airship bound for the Stormbreak Archipelago. He was not alone. A team had been assembled—handpicked by Yue Lan:
Jin Rui, a battle monk with lightning tattoos across his skin.
Fei'er, a shadow cultivator who could dissolve into mist.
The twins Mira and Juno, illusionists from the House of Mirage.
They traveled through volatile stormclouds and shifting ley lines. Eventually, the archipelago appeared—thousands of floating islands spiraling around a glowing maelstrom.
Their target: Island 17, a jagged landmass shaped like a claw. According to intelligence, the Serpent Root was performing a blood ritual there to convert mortal cultivators into puppets.
As they approached, they cloaked the ship in illusions. Mira and Juno masked their presence, while Fei'er scouted ahead.
[System Alert: Blood ritual detected. High-level demonic interference confirmed. Prepare for combat.]
On the island, masked figures in serpent robes surrounded a central altar where bound disciples writhed in pain. Dark qi filled the air.
"We move now," Lin Sheng ordered.
He descended like a meteor, sword unsheathed. His blade, now enhanced by the System's Sovereign Edge Protocol, cleaved through the ritual circle with a single strike. Jin Rui landed beside him, unleashing arcs of divine lightning that incinerated enemy cultists.
Fei'er appeared behind the Serpent Root priest and severed his spiritual root in one swift, silent motion.
The battle was brief, brutal, and effective.
Once the ritual was disrupted, Lin Sheng approached the altar and freed the surviving disciples. Many were traumatized, but one handed him a crystal orb.
"They said this held... their orders. Please... stop them."
The orb flickered to life. A message played: a robed figure speaking to a council in shadow.
"Phase two begins with the fall of Frost Citadel. Eliminate Elder Qiyan. Ensure Lin Sheng is discredited. The Sovereign Path must be controlled."
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed.
"They're targeting my sponsor now."
Yue Lan's voice echoed through his comm crystal. "We have a lead on their next move. Return immediately. We begin the next strike—together."
[Quest Update: Serpent Root Counter-Offensive Phase I Complete. New Objective: Defend Frost Citadel. Time Remaining: 5 Days.]
Lin Sheng turned to his companions. "Rest while you can. War is coming."
Next: Chapter Thirteen – The Fall of Frost Citadel