The hours until moonrise stretched like years.
Lin Feng had returned to his small room in the servants' quarters, claiming exhaustion to avoid the endless questions from curious onlookers. But sleep was impossible. His mind churned with the implications of what had happened in that courtyard.
The Dao Thread. A connection between destined souls. With Yun Qingxue, of all people.
He sat cross-legged on his sleeping mat, outwardly meditating but inwardly wrestling with a problem that had no easy solution. The Twin Soul Pendant lay against his chest, its warmth a constant reminder of the bond that had formed. According to the Void Emperor's memories, such connections were absolute—decreed by forces beyond mortal comprehension.
But absolute didn't mean simple.
Yun Qingxue was the Sacred Disciple, heir to the sect's leadership, engaged to Li Xian of the powerful Azure Sky Family. She existed in a world of politics, alliances, and carefully maintained hierarchies.
And he was—officially—a servant who had just barely scraped his way to Mortal Awakening Level 3.
The sect would never permit it. Her family would never permit it. Even if she wanted to acknowledge the connection, the weight of expectation would crush any possibility before it could bloom.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Lin Feng? Are you there?"
Xiao Ling's voice, worried as always. He opened the door to find her carrying a tray with food—rice, vegetables, a small piece of fish. More than a servant usually received.
"You haven't eaten all day," she said, pushing past him into the tiny room. "Everyone's talking about what happened at the Testing Hall. Perfect meridians! Do you know what that means?"
"That I'll attract unwanted attention."
"That you have a future!" She set the tray down forcefully. "Lin Feng, this is amazing! With that foundation, you could reach Core Condensation in a few years. Golden Transformation after that. You could become an inner disciple, maybe even a core disciple someday!"
I'm already at Divine Domain. In a few years, I'll be at Transcendence Celestial if I'm careful. But I can't tell you that.
"Maybe," he said noncommittally, picking up the chopsticks. The food was still warm—she must have run straight from the kitchens.
Xiao Ling sat across from him, her expression turning serious. "There's something else. Something people are whispering about."
"What?"
"The Sacred Disciple. Yun Qingxue." Xiao Ling leaned forward, lowering her voice even though they were alone. "They say she stopped you in the courtyard. That she spoke to you directly. Is it true?"
The rice suddenly felt like ash in his mouth. "Yes."
"What did she say?"
"She... heard I was missing in the back mountains. She was glad I survived."
"That's it?" Xiao Ling's eyes were wide with disbelief. "The Ice Goddess, who hasn't spoken to a servant in years, stops you in public just to say she's glad you're alive?"
"That's all that happened." Except for the manifestation of a Dao Thread that bound our souls together across the fabric of destiny itself. But that's not something I can explain.
Xiao Ling studied his face, clearly not believing him but smart enough not to push. "Be careful, Lin Feng. When someone that powerful takes an interest in you—even benign interest—it can be dangerous. There are already rumors spreading."
"What kind of rumors?"
"That she's taken you as a protégé. That she sees potential in you. That—" Xiao Ling hesitated. "That maybe there's something more."
Lin Feng's chopsticks froze halfway to his mouth. "More?"
"You have to understand, she's the most beautiful woman in three provinces. Every young master, every genius cultivator, half the elders—they all dream of catching her attention. And she's been engaged to Young Master Li Xian since childhood, but everyone knows it's a political arrangement. She's never shown interest in anyone."
"And people think she's suddenly interested in a servant because she asked about my wellbeing?" Lin Feng shook his head. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Xiao Ling's expression was oddly knowing for a fifteen-year-old. "She's never asked about any other servant. Never stopped anyone in public like that. And according to the outer disciples who saw it, she looked at you like... like she was seeing something she'd been searching for."
The pendant pulsed warmly, as if confirming the observation.
"People see what they want to see," Lin Feng said firmly. "The Sacred Disciple has no reason to be interested in me. Now eat with me—you brought too much food for one person anyway."
Xiao Ling accepted the subject change, but her worried expression never quite faded. They ate in companionable silence, and Lin Feng was grateful for her presence. In a world that had become impossibly complicated, Xiao Ling remained refreshingly simple—genuinely caring, without ulterior motives.
I need to protect her. Whatever happens going forward, she can't be caught in the crossfire.
After she left, Lin Feng prepared for the evening meeting. He couldn't go dressed as a servant—that would draw too much attention. But he also couldn't appear too refined, or questions would be asked about where he obtained such clothing.
The Robe of Thousand Stars solved the problem. With a thought, the artifact shifted its appearance to simple but clean robes in dark blue—the color outer disciples wore. Not wealthy enough to attract envy, not poor enough to attract pity. Perfectly unremarkable.
He waited until the sun had fully set and the three moons had begun their ascent across the sky before slipping out of the servants' quarters. His enhanced spiritual sense detected the patrol patterns of sect guards, the positions of elders on night watch, the locations of disciples still training in the evening hours.
Avoiding them all was trivially easy for someone with Divine Domain cultivation.
The Lotus Pavilion stood at the edge of the sect's eastern gardens, overlooking a lake that reflected the moonlight like liquid silver. It was a place for meditation and quiet contemplation, rarely visited at night. The perfect location for a secret meeting.
Lin Feng approached carefully, his senses extended. Yun Qingxue was already there, standing at the pavilion's edge with her back to him, looking out over the water. Her white robes seemed to glow in the moonlight, and her spiritual presence radiated cold like a winter morning.
He stopped at the pavilion's entrance. "Sacred Disciple."
She didn't turn. "You came alone. Good."
"You said to tell no one."
"And yet you must have wondered if this was a trap." Now she did turn, her glacial eyes finding him in the darkness. "After all, why would someone of my position wish to meet privately with a servant?"
"The thought crossed my mind."
A ghost of a smile touched her lips—there and gone so quickly he might have imagined it. "Your honesty is refreshing. Most would have groveled and sworn blind loyalty."
"Would you prefer that?"
"No." She gestured to the pavilion's interior. "Come. We have much to discuss, and the night is short."
Lin Feng entered the pavilion, keenly aware of the space between them. Up close, Yun Qingxue was even more striking than she had been that morning. Her beauty was the cold perfection of a winter landscape—stunning but untouchable. Her aura pressed against his concealed power like two opposing forces held in delicate balance.
"First," she said, settling gracefully onto one of the pavilion's cushioned benches, "show me the pendant."
Lin Feng hesitated, then reached into his robe and withdrew the Twin Soul Pendant. In the moonlight, the intertwined souls carved into the jade seemed almost alive, pulsing with a soft golden glow.
Yun Qingxue's breath caught. She extended her left hand, pushing back her sleeve to reveal the jade bracelet. It too was glowing, its light matching the pendant's rhythm exactly.
"I received this bracelet on my sixteenth birthday," she said quietly. "A gift from my grandmother before she ascended to the Divine Realm. She called it the Jade Destiny Bracelet and told me it would glow when I met my destined companion." Her eyes lifted to meet his. "It has been dormant for four years. Until today."
"The Twin Soul Pendant has a similar purpose," Lin Feng admitted. "To guide its bearer to their fated match."
"And we both know what that means." Yun Qingxue's voice was carefully controlled, but Lin Feng's enhanced senses detected the tremor beneath. "The Dao Thread has formed. We are... connected."
"Dao companions," Lin Feng confirmed. "Bound by destiny itself."
The words hung between them, heavy with implication. Dao companions were rare—cultivators whose souls resonated on a fundamental level, allowing them to cultivate together with enhanced efficiency, share spiritual energy, and even sense each other's emotions across vast distances. The bond was permanent, unbreakable, and considered sacred by all cultivation traditions.
It was also extremely inconvenient when one party was a Sacred Disciple engaged to someone else, and the other was supposed to be a servant.
"This is impossible," Yun Qingxue said, echoing her words from the courtyard. "I am engaged to Li Xian. The arrangement has been in place since we were children. Our families—"
"I know." Lin Feng's voice was gentle. "I understand the position you're in. I'm not asking for anything."
Her eyes flashed. "Not asking for anything? The Dao Thread doesn't care about what we ask! It exists, binding us whether we will it or not. Even now, I can feel your emotions—confusion, concern, and beneath it all, a power you're desperately trying to conceal."
Lin Feng went very still. "What do you mean?"
"Don't insult my intelligence." Yun Qingxue stood, moving closer. "Your concealment is excellent—the robe you wear is an artifact of considerable power, and your control is masterful. But the Dao Thread creates a connection between souls. Through it, I can sense what you truly are."
She can see through the concealment. Of course she can—the bond goes deeper than any artifact.
"And what am I?" Lin Feng asked carefully.
Yun Qingxue studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "You are not what you pretend to be. That much is certain. Whether you're Divine Domain like me, or something else entirely..." She paused. "I cannot tell. Your power feels strange—empty yet full, like staring into an abyss that stares back."
The void. She's sensing the fundamental nature of my cultivation.
"If I were to tell you the truth," Lin Feng said slowly, "it would put you in danger. Not from me—from forces that would destroy anyone who knew what I carry."
"The inheritance you found in the back mountains."
It wasn't a question. Lin Feng felt a chill run down his spine. "How—"
"I'm not a fool. A servant with fractured meridians doesn't simply 'find herbs' that grant perfect spiritual channels and trigger a mysterious breakthrough. You found something in those forbidden zones. Something powerful enough to completely transform your foundation." Her eyes narrowed. "Something dangerous enough that you must hide it from everyone."
Lin Feng weighed his options. The Dao Thread made lying difficult—not impossible, but Yun Qingxue would feel the deception. And if she was already suspicious, a clumsy lie would only make things worse.
She's already in danger simply by being bound to me. The three traitors will eventually learn of my existence. When they do, anyone connected to me becomes a target.
But if I tell her everything, I give her a choice. She can decide whether to acknowledge the bond or try to sever it before it deepens.
"You're right," he said finally. "I did find something in the back mountains. An inheritance from... someone who died long ago. Someone powerful. And someone whose enemies still live."
"How powerful?"
"Immortal Emperor. At minimum."
Yun Qingxue's composure cracked again, her eyes widening. "That's impossible. An Immortal Emperor's inheritance would be—"
"Worth killing for? Yes. Worth destroying entire sects to possess? Absolutely." Lin Feng's voice was grim. "Which is why I must hide it. If the wrong people learn what I carry, this entire sect would be obliterated as collateral damage."
She was quiet for a long moment, processing. "And your current cultivation?"
"Is significantly higher than Mortal Awakening Level 3."
"How much higher?"
Lin Feng met her eyes. "Divine Domain Level 1. With complete stability."
The silence that followed was absolute. Even the crickets in the gardens seemed to pause in their chirping.
"You're the same rank as me," Yun Qingxue finally said. "At twenty-two, after having fractured meridians for fourteen years. You went from essentially a cripple to Divine Domain in seven days."
"The inheritance was... thorough."
"Thorough." She laughed—a sound like ice cracking. "That's one way to describe a miracle that defies every known principle of cultivation. Do you understand how impossible this is? I've been called the greatest genius in three provinces because I reached Divine Domain Level 4 at twenty years old. You've surpassed decades of my work in a single week."
"I didn't choose this," Lin Feng said quietly. "I was dying in that ravine. The inheritance offered survival and power, or death in the darkness. I chose to live."
"And now you're bound to me by destiny." Yun Qingxue returned to the bench, sinking down as if exhausted. "The heavens have a cruel sense of humor."
Lin Feng sat across from her, maintaining respectful distance. "I meant what I said before. I'm not asking anything of you. The Dao Thread exists, yes, but you have a life, obligations, a path already chosen. I won't interfere with that."
"Won't interfere?" She looked at him incredulously. "The Dao Thread grows stronger with proximity. The more time we spend together, the deeper the bond becomes. Eventually, it will be impossible to ignore. We'll sense each other's emotions constantly, feel each other's pain, know when the other is in danger. That's not something you can simply ignore."
"Then we stay apart. I'll leave the sect—"
"No." The word came out sharp, almost panicked. Yun Qingxue caught herself, composing her features. "If you leave with an Immortal Emperor's inheritance and enemies hunting you, you'll be killed. You may be Divine Domain, but that level alone won't save you from true powers. You need the sect's protection, at least until you grow stronger."
"I can't stay here indefinitely. Eventually, someone will realize I'm hiding my cultivation."
"Then we need a strategy." Yun Qingxue's expression shifted, becoming focused and analytical. "First, your official status. You need to petition for Outer Disciple rank—Elder Yuan already recommended it. That gives you access to better resources and training facilities without raising suspicion."
"And draws more attention from people like Zhao Kun."
"Zhao Kun is a fool, but he's a dangerous fool with powerful backing." Yun Qingxue frowned. "He's already humiliated by your survival and breakthrough. If he continues to target you..."
"I can handle Zhao Kun."
"Can you? Without revealing your true power?" She shook her head. "You need to understand the politics here. Zhao Kun's father is an Elder of the Discipline Hall. His uncle serves in the Patriarch's inner circle. If you retaliate too obviously, they'll use their influence to crush you."
Lin Feng felt frustration building. "So I should just accept being targeted?"
"No. You need to be smarter than he is." Yun Qingxue leaned forward. "Use the sect's own rules against him. Document every incident. Gather witnesses. Build a case that even his family's influence can't dismiss. Meanwhile, advance your official cultivation at a believable pace—quick enough to justify your perfect meridians, but not so fast that it seems impossible."
"And the Dao Thread? What do we do about that?"
Her expression softened slightly. "We... acknowledge it. But carefully. I cannot break my engagement to Li Xian without severe consequences. The Azure Sky Family is one of the sect's most important allies. A broken engagement would be seen as an insult that could lead to conflict."
"So we pretend the bond doesn't exist."
"No. We manage it." Yun Qingxue's hand moved unconsciously to her bracelet. "The Dao Thread is real, and fighting it would only make things worse. But we can be... discrete. I can offer you guidance, resources, protection when possible. As a Sacred Disciple mentoring a promising talent, it would raise eyebrows but wouldn't be scandalous."
"Until Li Xian notices and takes offense."
"Li Xian is..." She hesitated. "Complicated. He's talented, proud, and very aware of his status. He views our engagement as his right rather than our choice. If he perceives you as a threat..."
"He'll try to eliminate me."
"Yes." Yun Qingxue's voice was heavy. "Which is why you must be extremely careful around him. Li Xian has reached Divine Domain Level 2, and unlike you, he's not hiding his cultivation. He has resources, allies, and no moral compunctions about crushing perceived threats."
Lin Feng considered this. Li Xian was only one level above his official cultivation, but two levels above his revealed cultivation. In a direct confrontation, Lin Feng could obliterate him—the Inverse Void Dao was specifically designed to counter traditional cultivation methods. But such a confrontation would reveal everything.
"I'll avoid him when possible," Lin Feng said. "But if he forces a conflict—"
"Then you defend yourself, but carefully. Make it look like luck, quick thinking, clever tactics. Anything but raw power." Yun Qingxue stood, and Lin Feng rose with her. "We should end this meeting. The longer we're alone together, the more rumors will spread."
"One more thing," Lin Feng said as she turned to leave. "The Dao Thread... does it bother you? Being bound to someone like me?"
Yun Qingxue paused at the pavilion's edge, her back to him. The moonlight cast her shadow long across the wooden floor.
"Someone like you?" she repeated softly. "Do you mean someone with fractured meridians who survived through determination and luck? Someone kind enough to worry about others even while hiding an earth-shattering secret? Someone who, despite possessing power that could shake nations, still shows humility and consideration?"
She looked back over her shoulder, and for the first time, Lin Feng saw her mask fully drop. Behind the ice was something warmer, more human.
"No, Lin Feng. Being bound to someone like you doesn't bother me at all. In fact..." She smiled—a real smile, small but genuine. "It might be the first choice the heavens have made for me that I don't resent."
Then the mask was back, the Ice Goddess once more. "Three days from now, the Outer Disciple examinations will be held. Petition to participate. Pass them. Establish yourself as a legitimate talent. We'll speak again after that."
"And if Zhao Kun tries something before then?"
"Then survive it. You've already survived impossible odds once." Her eyes held his for a moment longer. "I have faith you'll manage."
She departed in a swirl of white robes, her spiritual presence fading as she used some technique to mask her passage through the sect. Lin Feng stood alone in the pavilion, listening to the gentle lap of water against the shore.
The Twin Soul Pendant was warm against his chest, and through the Dao Thread—so new he was still learning to interpret it—he felt an echo of Yun Qingxue's emotions. Concern. Confusion. And beneath both, buried deep but unmistakable: hope.
She doesn't hate the bond. That's something, at least.
But it also complicated everything. A Dao Thread could not be hidden forever. Eventually, people would notice the connection. Li Xian would notice. And when he did...
One problem at a time. First, survive the next three days. Then pass the examination. Build a legitimate foundation for my cover identity. Everything else can wait.
Lin Feng left the pavilion, returning to the servants' quarters through shadows and silence. His small room felt even more cramped than before, as if the walls themselves were pressing in.
He settled into meditation, drawing on the Inverse Void Dao to calm his churning thoughts. The void welcomed him, that infinite darkness studded with distant stars. Here, at least, nothing was complicated. There was only emptiness and potential, existence and non-existence held in perfect balance.
Through the technique, he could feel his cultivation consolidating. Divine Domain Level 1 was stable, but there was room to grow. With time and practice, he would advance. The question was how fast he dared to progress without arousing suspicion.
The Void Emperor reached Demi-God level. It took him eight thousand years, even with this technique. I need to be faster—the three traitors are already at that level, and they have a hundred-thousand-year head start in experience.
But too fast, and I'll attract attention I can't handle. I need to find the balance.
Hours passed in meditation. Lin Feng was so deep in the void that he almost missed the disturbance—a subtle wrongness in the spiritual energy around his room.
His eyes snapped open.
Someone was watching him.
Not physically present, but observing through some technique. He could feel the spiritual sense brushing against his concealment like invisible fingers probing for weaknesses.
Who? And why?
Lin Feng carefully extended his own senses, trying to trace the observation back to its source. The technique was sophisticated, woven through several relay points to disguise the origin. But his Divine Domain cultivation and the Void Emperor's knowledge gave him advantages the observer didn't anticipate.
There—the final relay point. A formation array hidden in the roofbeams, no larger than a coin. And beyond it, the consciousness directing it.
Elder Shadow.
The name came from sect records Lin Feng had absorbed during his years in the Grand Library. Xu Eternal Shadow—an elder who oversaw the outer disciples, known for his stern discipline and sharp political instincts. He'd held his position for two hundred years, respected but never quite trusted.
Why would an elder be spying on a servant?
Unless... unless Elder Shadow had noticed something wrong. Maybe the examination had raised questions. Maybe Yun Qingxue's attention had triggered suspicion. Or maybe—worse possibility—Elder Shadow had some connection to the forces hunting the Void Emperor's inheritance.
I need to know more about him. But carefully. If he's just a paranoid elder, confronting him would only create problems. If he's something worse...
Lin Feng filed the information away and carefully withdrew his senses, making sure not to alert the observer. Let Elder Shadow watch for now. All he would see was a servant meditating with slightly better technique than expected—unusual but not impossible for someone with perfect meridians.
The formation remained active for another hour before finally fading as dawn approached. Lin Feng remained in meditation posture, but his mind raced with new concerns.
How many other people are watching me? How long before someone sees through my concealment? How long before the three traitors learn that the Void Emperor's inheritance has been claimed?
The first rays of sunlight crept through his window, painting the small room in shades of gold. Outside, the sect was beginning to wake—servants preparing breakfast, early-rising disciples heading to training grounds, elders starting their morning meditation.
Lin Feng stood and stretched, his movements careful and deliberate. Today would be important—the first full day since his true nature had begun to be revealed. Zhao Kun would be planning something, that much was certain. Elder Shadow would be watching. And somewhere in the celestial halls above, Yun Qingxue would be managing her own complications.
Three days until the examination. Survive three days, pass the test, establish the cover identity. Simple.
Except nothing about his life was simple anymore.
A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts. He opened it to find not Xiao Ling as expected, but another servant—an older man named Chen who managed the herb storage.
"Lin Feng. Elder Shen wants to see you. Immediately."
"Did he say why?"
"No. But he seemed troubled." Chen glanced around nervously. "You should go quickly."
Lin Feng thanked him and made his way toward Elder Shen's gardens. The early morning mist was thick, giving the sect an ethereal quality. Few people were out yet, which suited him fine.
Elder Shen was waiting in his cottage, the door already open. The old cultivator looked like he hadn't slept, his eyes shadowed with worry.
"Close the door," Elder Shen said before Lin Feng could even greet him.
Lin Feng obeyed, concern growing. "Elder? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Elder Shen laughed bitterly. "Boy, do you have any idea what you've started? The entire sect is in an uproar. Half the elders want to recruit you as a direct disciple. The other half think you're hiding something dangerous. The Patriarch himself has requested a private meeting with you this afternoon."
"The Patriarch?" Lin Feng's stomach sank. "Why?"
"Because perfect meridians at your age are unheard of. Because your sudden transformation raises questions about what exactly you found in those mountains. Because—" Elder Shen leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Because there are factions within the sect who would kill to possess whatever gave you that transformation."
"I see."
"Do you? Do you really?" Elder Shen's expression was anguished. "Lin Feng, I've been in this sect for four hundred years. I've seen talented disciples rise and fall. I've seen political games destroy promising cultivators. And I've seen what happens when someone stumbles upon power they can't protect."
"What are you saying, Elder?"
"I'm saying you need allies. Real allies, not just well-wishers. And you need them quickly." Elder Shen stood and moved to a chest in the corner of his cottage. From it, he withdrew a jade token carved with intricate formations. "This is my personal cultivation token. It grants access to my private herb gardens and formation libraries. Take it."
"Elder, I can't—"
"Yes, you can. And you will." Elder Shen pressed the token into Lin Feng's hands. "I'm too old to advance further. My path ended at Golden Transformation Realm decades ago. But you... you have potential I haven't seen in centuries. Maybe you can reach heights I never could."
Lin Feng felt genuine emotion stirring—gratitude mixed with guilt. Elder Shen was offering help without knowing the full truth, without understanding the danger such association might bring.
"Why are you doing this?" Lin Feng asked quietly. "You barely know me."
"Because fourteen years ago, I watched a broken child refuse to give up. Watched him study cultivation manuals he couldn't use, practice techniques his body wouldn't execute, endure mockery and humiliation without breaking." Elder Shen's eyes were distant, remembering. "That kind of determination is rare. It deserves to be rewarded, not crushed by politics and jealousy."
"Thank you, Elder Shen. I won't forget this."
"Just survive, boy. That's thanks enough." The elder moved toward the door. "Now go. Prepare for your meeting with the Patriarch. And whatever you do, don't reveal more than you must. The Patriarch is wise, but he's also bound by sect law and ancient obligations. Some knowledge is too dangerous for anyone to possess."
Lin Feng left the cottage with the jade token hidden in his robes and Elder Shen's warning echoing in his mind. The morning had brought unexpected complications, but also unexpected allies.
The Patriarch wants to meet me. That could be good or catastrophic, depending on how observant he is.
He returned to the servants' quarters to find chaos erupting. Disciples were running everywhere, servants scrambling to prepare something. The entire sect seemed to be mobilizing.
"What's happening?" Lin Feng grabbed a passing outer disciple.
"You don't know? The Azure Sky Family is arriving! Young Master Li Xian himself is coming for an official visit!" The disciple pulled free and hurried off.
Lin Feng stood frozen as the implications hit him.
Li Xian. Yun Qingxue's fiancé. Coming here, now, just as the Dao Thread has formed and rumors are beginning to spread.
Perfect timing.
Through the Dao Thread, he felt a pulse of emotion from Yun Qingxue—sharp anxiety mixed with resignation. She'd known this was coming but hadn't been able to warn him.
The day had barely begun, and already Lin Feng could tell it was going to be one of the longest of his new life.
He took a deep breath, centering himself in the calm of the void. Survive three days. That's all. Just survive three days.
Somewhere in the distance, ceremonial drums began to beat, announcing the arrival of honored guests.
The game had truly begun.
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 4: THE YOUNG MASTER'S ARRIVAL