The death of Xue Linyao spread through the sect like wildfire.
But the flames didn't come from gossip.
They came from actual fire.
One by one, the inner courtyards of suspect elders began to burn—each incinerated by flames with a distinct crimson-black hue.
Everyone knew the source.
Liu Shen.
---
A Warning in Fire
Liu Shen stood on the edge of the sect's central plaza, arms folded behind his back, as disciples and elders alike gathered around the scorched remnants of Elder Su Meng's compound.
He had not killed her.
Only destroyed her home, her weapons, her talismans—and marked her gates with the Serpent Flame Sigil.
> "I know."
That was all it said.
The message was clear:
If you're guilty… run.
If you're not… prove it.
---
Tensions Mount
In the inner court halls, voices rose.
> "He's going too far!"
"He acts like a sovereign—but he hasn't even ascended to the Sect Council!"
"This isn't justice—it's a purge!"
But others whispered:
> "He's cleansing the rot. Isn't that what we needed all along?"
"The elders never explained why Sovereign Shen was erased from the records."
One figure, cloaked in green jade robes, listened silently.
Zhou Tianhai, Head of the Inner Court, and one of the few elders whose name didn't appear in the Mirror.
But his eyes… were storming with calculation.
---
In the Hall of Flames
That night, Liu Shen stood before the central Council Pyre, where flames of every generation burned in an eternal brazier.
The fire flickered unnaturally as he approached—recognizing a sovereign soul.
He knelt.
> "I've burned the puppet."
"Now I seek the hand."
He placed the sealed celestial spirit talisman into the fire.
The brazier flared, and in its glow appeared an image—faint, shifting.
A man cloaked in starfire robes, with an emerald mark on his brow.
> "This one," Liu Shen muttered. "You're the architect."
He etched the image into his memory.
---
The Hunt Begins
The next morning, Liu Shen stood atop the Sect's southern peak, looking over the map of the Searing Cloud's territory.
His target: Jade Wind Hall.
A hidden division known for its neutrality… but also for recruiting elite disciples without the Council's permission.
A perfect place to hide a Heaven's Will agent.
As he prepared to leave, a voice spoke from behind.
> "You plan to purge the sect alone?"
He turned.
It was Yu Meixing, the disciple who once challenged him in the Flame Trials—and lost.
But her gaze now held no resentment. Only resolve.
> "I've seen the truth," she said, holding up a half-burnt talisman from Elder Han's vault.
"If you'll let me… I want to fight beside you."
Liu Shen stared at her.
For a moment, he saw shadows of his former generals—long buried.
He nodded.
> "Then prepare yourself.
We're going serpent-hunting in the Jade Wind Hall."
---
Meanwhile, Far Away…
In a distant realm lit by falling stars and celestial auroras, a robed man stood at the center of a circle of sigils.
He opened his eyes.
The emerald mark on his brow glowed.
> "So, the Demon Sovereign's flame has returned."
He turned to a kneeling disciple.
> "Begin deployment of the Veiled Legion."
> "Let Liu Shen purge his sect."
> "When he's finished… there will be nothing left to protect."