Kai stood before the massive black doors of Sect Master Xue Yan's private chambers. The doors were inscribed with formations so complex that even looking at them made his head hurt.
Two guards in crimson armor flanked the entrance, their cultivation at Core Formation Realm. They didn't speak, just gestured for him to enter.
The doors opened silently.
Inside, the chamber was surprisingly austere. No lavish decorations or displays of wealth. Just dark stone walls, a simple throne, and shelves lined with ancient texts and artifacts that radiated dangerous power.
Sect Master Xue Yan sat on the throne, his red eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Behind him stood Master Shen Yue and Master Zhao—the two hall masters who'd been most involved in Kai's rise.
"Kai Zhang," Xue Yan said, his voice echoing despite the small space. "Tournament champion. The first disciple from our sect to win in seventeen years. You've brought great honor to the Blood Demonic Sect."
"Thank you, Sect Master. I'm honored to serve."
"Are you?" Xue Yan's eyes seemed to pierce through him. "Because serving the sect means more than winning tournaments. It means loyalty. Absolute loyalty."
[Warning: Conversation taking dangerous turn]
[Recommendation: Extreme caution with responses]
"Of course, Sect Master. My loyalty to the sect is unwavering."
"Good. Then you won't mind explaining why you accepted a protection token from the Murim Alliance without informing your sect master first."
Kai's blood ran cold. How did he know about the token already?
"The Seven Immortals member, Xuan Chen, approached me after the finals," Kai said carefully. "He gave me the token without asking permission. I had no opportunity to refuse without insulting the Murim Alliance."
"A diplomatic answer." Xue Yan stood, his presence filling the room. "But I'm not interested in diplomacy right now. I'm interested in that key you carry."
He gestured, and Kai felt an invisible force pull the Key of the Tyrant Sword Saint from his storage ring. It flew across the room into Xue Yan's hand.
The Sect Master examined it with obvious fascination. "The Tyrant Sword Saint. A cultivator who killed more people than any war in history. His techniques were so devastating that three alliances of sects working together could barely contain him."
Xue Yan's smile was cold. "And now his legacy is within reach, held by one of my disciples. Do you understand what this means?"
"That the sect could benefit from powerful techniques?" Kai suggested, though his instincts screamed danger.
"Partially correct." Xue Yan tossed the key back to Kai, who caught it reflexively. "But you're missing the larger picture. That key doesn't just unlock techniques. It unlocks a location—a hidden realm where the Tyrant Sword Saint stored his most dangerous secrets."
[New Information: Key unlocks hidden realm]
[Not just techniques—secrets and artifacts]
"The orthodox sects will hunt you," Xue Yan continued. "The Dark Sect will attempt to capture you. Independent cultivators will try to steal the key. You've become the most valuable and most endangered disciple in the entire Murim world."
Master Shen Yue stepped forward. "Sect Master, perhaps we should provide Kai with additional protection—"
"No." Xue Yan's voice was absolute. "Protection would draw more attention. Instead, Kai will do what he's always done. He'll survive through intelligence and adaptation."
He looked directly at Kai. "You have three months. Find the Tyrant Sword Saint's hidden realm, retrieve whatever techniques and artifacts you can, and return to the sect. If you succeed, I'll elevate you to core disciple status and provide resources beyond your imagination."
"And if I fail?" Kai asked.
"Then you'll likely be dead, and the key will fall into someone else's hands." Xue Yan's expression was unreadable. "But I don't think you'll fail. You've survived everything else so far."
[Quest Alert!]
[Major Quest: Find the Tyrant Sword Saint's Hidden Realm]
[Time Limit: 3 months]
[Reward: Core disciple status, advanced resources, techniques from hidden realm]
[Penalty: Death (likely)]
[Difficulty: Extreme]
"One more thing," Xue Yan said. "Master Shen Yue will accompany you. She has experience dealing with ancient cultivator legacies and can help navigate whatever traps the Tyrant Sword Saint left behind."
Master Shen Yue bowed. "I'm honored, Sect Master."
"Don't be. This mission could kill even you." Xue Yan dismissed them with a wave. "You leave in three days. Prepare accordingly."
---
Outside the chamber, Master Shen Yue grabbed Kai's arm and pulled him into a side corridor protected by privacy formations.
"Listen carefully," she said, her voice low and urgent. "The Sect Master isn't telling you everything. He has connections to an organization called the Hao Clan Heaven—a group of Nascent Soul and Transcendence Realm cultivators who manipulate sect politics across the continent."
[Critical Information: Hao Clan Heaven organization]
[Members: High-level cultivators across multiple sects]
[Purpose: Manipulation of political power]
"Why are you telling me this?" Kai asked.
"Because I don't want to see my fourth personal disciple die stupidly." Master Shen Yue's crimson eyes were serious. "The Sect Master wants that key for the Hao Clan Heaven, not for the Blood Demonic Sect. If you find the hidden realm and bring back those techniques, he'll hand them over to his organization—not use them to strengthen our sect."
"Then what should I do?"
"Survive. Find the realm. Take what you need for yourself before anyone else can claim it." She hesitated. "And don't trust the Sect Master's timeline. Three months isn't arbitrary—something is happening in three months that makes the key critical."
Kai processed this information. Every revelation seemed to add layers of complexity.
"Who else knows about this?" he asked.
"Very few. Wei Long suspects something but doesn't know details. Your alliance members are completely unaware." Master Shen Yue released his arm. "Keep it that way. The fewer people who know, the safer everyone is."
She started to leave, then paused. "One last thing. The girl you met at the tournament—Yuki. She's not what she seems."
"What do you mean?"
"Her parents didn't just die searching for the Tyrant Sword Saint's legacy. They were killed by the Hao Clan Heaven for getting too close. Yuki has been hunting the organization ever since." Master Shen Yue's expression was cold. "She's using you to get to the key, yes. But her goals might align with yours more than you realize."
---
Kai returned to his quarters, his mind spinning with information. Multiple factions. Hidden organizations. A three-month deadline with unclear stakes.
He needed to talk to his alliance.
That night, they gathered in the private cultivation garden—the only place Kai trusted for completely private conversations.
Wei Long, Mei Lin, Hong Wei, and Yun Xia all listened as Kai explained the situation. He didn't mention the Hao Clan Heaven or Master Shen Yue's warning—some secrets were too dangerous to share—but he told them about the hidden realm, the three-month deadline, and the various factions hunting him.
"This is insane," Hong Wei said when Kai finished. "You're being hunted by orthodox sects, the Dark Sect, and probably a dozen other organizations we don't even know about."
"And we're supposed to help you find a hidden realm that's killed countless cultivators?" Mei Lin added. "With only three months?"
"I'm not asking you to help," Kai said quietly. "This is my burden. The key is mine. I won't drag you into danger that isn't yours."
"Don't be stupid," Yun Xia said, her usually quiet voice firm. "We're an alliance. We survive together or die together. That was the agreement."
Wei Long nodded. "She's right. Besides, Master Shen Yue is going with you. If she's involved, Shadow Hall's reputation is at stake. That means all of us are involved whether you want us to be or not."
"I can't cultivate as fast as you," Hong Wei admitted. "I'm still weeks away from Foundation Establishment. But I can help prepare supplies, gather intelligence, watch your back during the journey."
"I've reached Foundation Establishment Realm Level 1 three days ago," Mei Lin said. "The Shadow Core method nearly killed me, but I made it. I can fight alongside you now."
[Alliance Status: United]
[All members committed to quest]
[Survival probability increased: 71.4% → 76.8%]
"There's someone else," Kai said. "A girl named Yuki. She approached me at the tournament. She's been searching for the Tyrant Sword Saint's legacy for two years. She has information about where the hidden realm might be located."
"Can we trust her?" Wei Long asked immediately.
"Master Shen Yue says her goals align with ours. And I need her information. Without it, I'm searching blind."
"Then we bring her into the alliance?" Mei Lin asked.
"Temporarily. For this mission only. After that, we reevaluate."
They spent the next two hours planning. Supply lists. Combat strategies. Escape routes. Communication methods. By the time they separated, they had a comprehensive plan for the journey ahead.
---
The next morning, Kai received a message talisman. The writing was unfamiliar but the content was clear.
*"Moonlight Pavilion. East Market District. Noon. Come alone. - Y"*
Yuki.
Kai made his way to the East Market District, a neutral trading area just outside the sect's direct control. The Moonlight Pavilion was a high-end tea house frequented by traveling cultivators and merchants.
Yuki sat in a private room on the third floor, a pot of expensive tea already prepared. She gestured for him to sit.
"You received the token from Xuan Chen," she said without preamble. "Good. You'll need his protection."
"You know about that?"
"I know about many things." Yuki poured tea with practiced elegance. "I know the Sect Master has given you three months. I know Master Shen Yue will accompany you. And I know at least four different factions are mobilizing to either steal your key or kill you."
[Yuki's knowledge: Extensive and accurate]
[Assessment: Either extremely well-connected or has information sources beyond normal]
"How do you know all this?" Kai asked.
"Because I've been preparing for this moment for two years. When my parents died, I swore I'd complete their mission. That meant learning everything about the Tyrant Sword Saint, his hidden realm, and every organization that's been searching for it." Yuki's ice-blue eyes were intense. "I have maps, texts, interviews with survivors who attempted the journey. Everything you need."
"In exchange for what?"
"Partnership. We enter the hidden realm together. We face the trials together. And when we find the techniques and artifacts, we split them evenly." Yuki leaned forward. "I don't want the key. I don't care about sect politics. I just want what my parents died trying to find."
"Which is?"
"The Tyrant Sword Saint's final technique—the one he created in his last year of life. It's called the Extinction Sword. A technique so powerful that it supposedly could kill Transcendence Realm cultivators with a single strike."
[New Information: Extinction Sword technique]
[Legendary technique created by Tyrant Sword Saint]
[Power level: Extreme]
"And you think you can master it?" Kai asked.
"I think I can try. And I think you're smart enough to understand that having an ally like me is better than facing this alone."
Kai studied her. Everything Master Shen Yue had said suggested Yuki's goals aligned with his own. And he did need her information.
"Fine. Partnership. But my alliance members come with us."
"How many?"
"Five, including me. Plus Master Shen Yue."
Yuki considered this. "That's a larger group than I prefer. But if they're as capable as you, it might actually improve our chances. Agreed."
They shook hands, sealing the temporary alliance.
"Now," Yuki said, producing a worn map from her storage ring. "Let me show you where we're going."
She unrolled the map on the table. It showed a mountainous region far to the north, beyond the territories controlled by any major sect.
"The Shattered Peaks," Yuki explained. "An abandoned region where a massive battle took place three hundred years ago. The Tyrant Sword Saint's final fortress was there. After his death, the entire area was sealed by a formation created by seven Transcendence Realm cultivators working together."
"How do we break a seal created by seven Transcendence Realm cultivators?" Kai asked.
"We don't. The key doesn't break the seal—it allows someone to enter without triggering the defenses. But once inside, we're on our own."
She pointed to various marked locations on the map. "There are three known entrances. Each one is guarded by formations and traps. My parents attempted the southern entrance and died when they triggered a defensive array."
"So we use a different entrance?"
"No. We use the southern entrance—because now we know what killed them and can prepare accordingly." Yuki's expression was cold. "My parents' deaths weren't meaningless. They gave me information. Information we'll use to succeed where they failed."
[Mission Location Confirmed: Shattered Peaks]
[Entrance: Southern approach]
[Known Dangers: Defensive arrays, formation traps, unknown guardians]
[Estimated travel time: 2 weeks]
[Estimated time inside hidden realm: Unknown]
"When do we leave?" Kai asked.
"In two days. I need to gather the last of my supplies. You need to prepare your alliance members." Yuki rolled up the map. "Meet me at the Northern Trade Road checkpoint. Dawn, two days from now. Don't be late."
She stood to leave, then paused at the door. "One more thing, Kai Zhang. Inside the hidden realm, we're equals. No sect hierarchy. No master-disciple relationships. Just cultivators trying to survive. Understood?"
"Understood."
After she left, Kai sat alone with his tea, processing everything.
Two days. Then a two-week journey to one of the most dangerous locations in the Murim world. Then entering a hidden realm that had killed countless cultivators, including Yuki's parents.
[Current Status Assessment]
[Preparation time: 2 days]
[Travel time: 2 weeks]
[Mission time: Unknown]
[Total factions pursuing: 5+ confirmed]
[Survival probability: 76.8%]
The odds were better than they'd been in the Blood Moon Ceremony. Better than the Shadow Forest mission. Better than the inter-hall competition.
But they were still terrible.
Kai finished his tea and stood. He had two days to prepare for the most dangerous mission of his life.
Time to get to work.
---
That evening, Kai gathered supplies from the sect treasury. Healing pills, qi restoration elixirs, defensive talismans, emergency escape formations. Everything he could purchase with his accumulated contribution points.
[Contribution Points: 612]
[Items Purchased:]
[- Healing Pills (Grade 3) x10: 200 points]
[- Qi Restoration Elixirs x5: 150 points]
[- Defensive Talismans x3: 150 points]
[- Emergency Teleportation Formation x1: 100 points]
[Remaining: 12 points]
He met with his alliance members one final time before departure. They'd all prepared similarly, gathering what resources they could.
"This feels different," Hong Wei said as they stood in the cultivation garden. "All our previous missions, we knew we might die. But this one... this one feels like we probably will."
"Cheerful," Mei Lin said dryly. But her expression was serious. "He's not wrong. We're walking into the unknown with multiple factions hunting us."
"Then we do what we always do," Kai said. "We adapt. We survive. We become stronger than anyone expects."
Yun Xia smiled slightly. "The Blood Demonic Sect way."
"The our way," Kai corrected. "We're not just sect disciples anymore. We're something else. Something that doesn't fit into their categories."
Wei Long nodded slowly. "A force that exists outside normal sect politics. I like it."
They stood together in the garden, five disciples who'd survived impossible odds through intelligence, determination, and mutual support.
Tomorrow, they would leave the Blood Demonic Sect.
And in two weeks, they would enter a realm where power, death, and destiny waited.
[System Message: The Shattered Peaks Journey]
[Survival probability will fluctuate dramatically]
[Prepare for extreme challenges]
[Days until departure: 1]
[The journey to the Shattered Peaks begins tomorrow]