The Crimson Serpent Sect was vast, but rumors traveled faster than sound.
By noon, every corner of the outer sect was humming with talk of Su Chen.
A no-name outer disciple had defeated Meng Fan—rank 83—and done so without injury, using unknown techniques, with movements so strange even the elder officiating the duel had been unsettled.
And now, Su Chen's name had crossed the invisible boundary that separated common disciples from the elite.
In the upper levels of Serpentwind Pavilion, the home of Elder Miao's direct disciples, the air grew tense.
"You're certain?" Ji Liang asked coldly, his fingers tapping the carved edge of a jade table.
His attendant, a thin youth with sunken eyes, nodded. "Meng Fan collapsed in three strikes. No one has seen Su Chen use that kind of technique before. Some are calling it 'void palm.' Others say he was invisible."
Ji Liang's gaze darkened.
That wasn't possible.
He remembered Su Chen clearly. A quiet, stubborn outer disciple who had the gall to challenge him over a broken cauldron. A nobody with no background, no wealth, and no connections.
So where did he get such power?
> Unless… he was hiding it all this time.
Or worse—he'd found something ancient.
Meanwhile, Su Chen sat cross-legged in the herb shed.
The System screen shimmered faintly before him.
> [System Panel: Status Update]
Name: Su Chen
Realm: Late Qi Channeling
System Points Available: 1
Unlocked Arts: Voidflow Step, Mirror Pulse, Soul Veil
New Art Available: Void Shard – Minor Offensive Art
Optional Quest: Enter Inner Sect Within 30 Days (Progress: 0%)
Bonus Objective: Win an Inner Disciple's Favor (Not Yet Triggered)
He stared at the last line. That was the challenge.
He couldn't just force his way into the inner sect with power alone—not yet. Entry required a recommendation, or winning one of the sect's Tri-Monthly Outer Trials.
He had missed the last one by three weeks.
But there were other ways.
"I need a sponsor," Su Chen murmured. "Or leverage."
His mind began weaving.
One of Elder Miao's rivals, Elder Qingxue, was known to favor talented rogue alchemists and free thinkers. She had a reputation for collecting disciples the other elders dismissed—especially those scorned by Ji Liang's faction.
And Elder Qingxue would be attending the Twin Spirit Bloom Festival—a sect event in three days held at the north peak gardens, where disciples brewed pills and showcased rare herbs.
If Su Chen could present a rare concoction, something unique, he might catch her attention.
But he would need something strong.
And dangerous.
That night, Su Chen left the herb shed alone and made his way to the Poison Grove.
A forbidden area for outer disciples, but his identity no longer mattered.
He wore a spirit-concealing veil and moved in complete silence. The twisting path wound through dead trees and cauldron-sized mushrooms leaking violet mist.
He searched carefully, eyes flicking over roots and stones.
And there it was:
Moonbane Root—a rare toxic herb used to paralyze spiritual flow for brief periods. Impossible to refine without precise timing. Lethal if mishandled.
> [Item Acquired: Moonbane Root – Fresh]
[System Insight Unlocked: Forbidden Fusion Recipe – Spirit Bane Elixir (Tier 2)]
A slow grin spread across Su Chen's lips.
"Perfect."
Elsewhere, in Serpentwind Pavilion, Ji Liang wasn't smiling.
He knelt before a figure in dark crimson robes—his master, Elder Miao, a broad-shouldered man with sharp eyes and a cruel mouth.
"You lost the fragment," Elder Miao said calmly, sipping tea. "Or, at the very least, someone's copied it."
Ji Liang stiffened. "I have it. No one could—"
"Don't play dumb, boy," Elder Miao snapped, eyes flaring with cold light. "You're sloppy. And now rumors of 'Void' techniques spread through the sect. Coincidence? I think not."
Ji Liang lowered his head.
"What do you wish me to do?"
Elder Miao set down his teacup.
"Crush this Su Chen before he reaches the inner sect. Quietly, if possible. Permanently, if not."
A chill ran through the air.
Back in his shed, Su Chen placed the Moonbane Root into a sealed cauldron and lit a thin blue flame beneath it. His hands moved in perfect rhythm, guided by memory, instinct, and System assistance.
The concoction simmered.
Time passed.
At dawn, it was complete.
> [Spirit Bane Elixir Created – Tier 2 Poison-Type Support Pill]
Effect: Temporarily disables spirit sense and impairs meridian control. Undetectable when dissolved in wine or tea.
Su Chen carefully placed it in a jade vial.
At the same time, he received a new notification.
> [Optional Objective Progress: Rare Pill Created – Gained Elder Interest Flag (Elder Qingxue)]
Su Chen rose slowly, staring out toward the distant north peak gardens.
He could already hear the faint sounds of preparation, the laughter of inner disciples, the fluttering banners of the Twin Spirit Bloom Festival.
He would attend.
He would win attention.
And he would start climbing from the shadows—just like before.
But this time, he wouldn't stop until he had reshaped the heavens themselves.