The air grew progressively denser and more suffocating as Railin descended deeper into the central basin of the Crimson Mist Mountain. The swirling crimson-purple fog was no longer just a passive environmental hazard; it had condensed into a heavy, humid mist that stung the eyes and left a bitter, copper-like metallic film on the skin. High above, the jagged mountain spires blocked out what little daylight managed to filter through the canopy, casting long, monstrous shadows across the damp, moss-covered ground.
Equipped with the ambush map looted from the Imperial Dragon Peak scouts, Railin avoided the heavily patrolled arterial valleys. Instead, he navigated through a dangerous series of narrow, forgotten rock fissures that wound around the eastern perimeter of the lower mountain ridge.
According to the map's crude markings, Senior Disciple Lu and his main force were fortifying key chokepoints around the shoreline of the Blood-Mist Lake, waiting to intercept disciples drawn to the central trial rewards. However, the map also contained a smaller, shadowed notation near the base of an adjacent cliffside: Ancient Subterranean Ruin — Unexplored.
Railin paused atop a mossy stone outcrop, his dark robes blending seamlessly into the shadowy backdrop of a massive, hollow cedar tree. He extended his spirit sense outward, sweeping a two-hundred-yard radius ahead.
The terrain fell off sharply into a sunken ravine surrounded by towering, sheared stone walls. At the bottom of the ravine, hidden beneath a thick curtain of thorned purple vines, was a dark oval opening in the cliffside. A faint, pure wave of medicinal fragrance—radically different from the foul, damp scent of the surrounding forest—was drifting out from the cave mouth.
Railin's pitch-black eyes narrowed slightly. Blood-Core Flower.
It was a rare, High-Grade Third-Rank spirit herb known to grow exclusively in places where rich spirit veins overlapped with ancient, undisturbed blood-essence. Consuming a mature Blood-Core Flower could directly temper a cultivator's bloodline, clarifying their meridians and drastically reducing the difficulty of breaking through into the Foundation Establishment realm.
Swoosh.
Railin dropped down from the stone outcrop, landing lightly on the soft, damp moss near the ravine bed without causing a single rustle of leaves. He approached the cave entrance with measured, soundless steps, his fingers resting casually inside his long, flowing sleeves.
Before he could reach the curtain of vines, his sharp spirit sense caught two distinct, powerful life signatures lingering inside the cavern darkness.
"Are you certain it's a hundred-year-old stalk?" a sharp, impatient voice echoed softly from within the cave, suppressed by spirit qi.
"Quiet your mouth, Disciple Zhao," a second, lower voice replied with a cold sneer. "I saw the three-petaled red glow with my own eyes. Once Senior Brother Lu finishes setting up the array at the lake, we will present this Blood-Core Flower to him. He will surely reward us with a Foundation-Establishing Pill candidate slot during the upcoming Inner Sect distribution."
"Heh, with Senior Brother Lu's backing, that commoner trash Railin won't even make it past today," Disciple Zhao scoffed quietly. "The scouts should have driven him toward the northern ridge by now."
Railin paused ten feet outside the cave mouth, leaning his back against a jagged pillar of karst rock.
The two voices belonged to inner disciples of the Imperial Dragon Peak. Judging by the heavy, pressurized aura emanating from the cave entrance, both individuals were experienced Ninth Level Spirit Refining cultivators—far more refined and dangerous than the three scouts Railin had devoured earlier.
A dark glint flickered deep within Railin's eyes. The Blood-Core Flower was an invaluable resource for his upcoming breakthrough, and these two disciples were affiliated with the very faction attempting to hunt him down. To Railin, they were not just enemies; they were walking reservoirs of refined spirit qi waiting to be harvested.
He retrieved two Shadow-Veiling Array Flags from his pouch, tossing them silently onto the muddy ground behind him. With a faint spark of spirit qi, the obsidian flags drove themselves into the earth, casting a translucent boundary that sealed off any sound, light, or spirit qi leaks from the cave mouth.
Having secured his perimeter, Railin pushed aside the curtain of vines and stepped into the cavern.
The interior of the cave was cool and damp. Natural glow-stones embedded in the high, arched ceiling cast a dim, greenish light across the ancient, moss-draped stone walls. The air inside was thick, saturated with the concentrated, sweet aroma of the Blood-Core Flower mixing with the ancient scent of wet granite.
Fifty yards inside, the narrow tunnel opened into a wide, circular stone chamber. In the center of the chamber, growing directly out of a fissure in a glowing red spirit stone, was a brilliant crimson stalk topped with three translucent, ruby-red petals. The flower emitted a soft, pulsing light that illuminated the dark chamber.
Standing near the stone were the two young men in pristine silver and gold inner-disciple robes. The one on the left, Disciple Zhao, held a long, gleaming steel spear inscribed with fire runes. The older disciple on the right, known as Brother Feng, had two heavy iron rings strapped to his forearms, crackling with dense yellow spirit qi.
They were currently inspecting a crude protective spell array surrounding the stone, attempting to crack it without damaging the herb's delicate roots.
"Who's there?!"
Brother Feng suddenly turned his head, his sharp eyes cutting toward the entrance of the chamber. His hand immediately dropped to his forearm rings, his Ninth Level spirit qi flaring up in a heavy surge of defensive energy.
Disciple Zhao spun around instantly, raising his long spear, its tip glowing with a sharp, piercing white light that hissed against the damp cave air.
Railin walked calmly out of the shadowy tunnel, his hands tucked inside his navy sleeves. His black eyes were completely calm, reflecting the faint green glow of the cavern's ceiling.
"You..." Disciple Zhao gasped, his eyes widening in sudden recognition, followed by a wave of shock. "Railin?! The commoner brat from the Outer Academy?"
"How did you find this place?" Brother Feng demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. He scanned the dark tunnel behind Railin, fully expecting an entire squad of commoner disciples to follow. When no one appeared, a slow, cruel smirk spread across his face. "You came here alone? Fool. Brother Lu had half the peak searching for your trail, and you walk straight into a dead-end cave."
Railin stopped twenty feet away from the duo.
"The herb is mine," Railin said smoothly, his voice flat and void of any emotion. "And your cultivation bases will serve as my stepping stones."
Disciple Zhao let out a harsh, mocking laugh that echoed loudly off the stone walls. "Arrogant trash! You think beating a few Outer Academy weaklings makes you invincible? Brother Feng, don't interfere! Let me tear his limbs off first and bring his head to Senior Brother Lu!"
BOOM!
Disciple Zhao exploded forward, his leather boots shattering the stone floor beneath him. His long spear transformed into a blinding streak of white light, aiming straight for Railin's throat! The attack was fast, precise, and backed by the full weight of a Ninth Level Spirit Refining base.
Railin didn't draw a sword. He didn't even shift his stance or raise his hands.
The Eclipse Soul Scripture — Twin Soul Needles!
Buzz!
From the dark soul sphere within Railin's forehead, two microscopic, pitch-black needles forged of pure mental energy shot forth through the air. They bypassed the physical plane entirely, cutting through the glowing spear light and slamming directly into the foreheads of both disciples simultaneously!
THWACK!
Disciple Zhao's explosive charge halted instantly mid-air.
The blinding white light on his spear tip flickered out like a spent candle. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, blood spurting wildly from his nose and ears as his sea of consciousness was violently torn apart by the razor-sharp soul attack. He collapsed forward onto his knees, his heavy steel spear clattering uselessly against the stone floor.
Beside him, Brother Feng—the older disciple—staggered backward three steps, clutching his temples with a blood-curdling shriek of agony.
"MY HEAD! MY SOUL! AGHHH!" Brother Feng screamed, falling to his knees as blood poured from his eyes and nose. Because his cultivation base was slightly firmer, he had managed to survive the initial impact of the Soul Needle, but his mind felt as though it had been struck by a molten iron hammer. His vision was blurred, his spiritual sea completely shattered, and his spirit qi circulation collapsed into chaos.
He looked up through blood-rimmed eyes, staring at Railin with absolute, unadulterated terror.
There had been no spirit qi fluctuation. No spell chant. No talisman release. Just a single glance, and his spiritual sea had been reduced to ruins!
"What... what kind of demonic technique is this?!" Brother Feng gasped, his voice trembling as blood dripped from his chin onto his golden robes. "You're not a Ninth Level Spirit Refiner... You're a monster!"
"You noticed too late," Railin murmured softly.
He blurred forward, appearing directly between the two paralyzed disciples like a phantom carved from the shadows.
Railin extended both hands with ruthless precision. His left hand gripped Disciple Zhao's throat, while his right palm slammed flat onto Brother Feng's sternum.
"Devour."
VRRRRRRR!
Two massive, pitch-black gravitational whirlpools erupted from Railin's palms!
"AAAGHHHHH!"
The cave chamber echoed with horrific, muffled screams as the thick, refined spirit qi, vital blood essence, and soul remnants of two Ninth Level inner disciples were violently extracted. Thick streams of dark blue energy rushed out of their bodies, surging through Railin's arms and pouring directly into his dantian.
Disciple Zhao shriveled up at a visible rate. His skin turned gray and dry, his muscles collapsed, and his eyes dried into hollow sockets within five seconds.
Brother Feng twitched violently, his Ninth Level core desperately trying to resist the terrifying devouring force, but the Ashen Devouring Technique crushed his resistance like brittle glass. His life-force was completely drained, leaving behind nothing but a shriveled, brittle shell.
CRACK! CRACK!
Railin withdrew his hands, and the two dried husks collapsed onto the stone floor, shattering into fine black dust that scattered into the cavern dampness.
BOOM!
Inside Railin's lower dantian, the liquid pool of refined spirit qi reached its absolute limit. The absorbed energy of two Ninth Level experts, combined with his previous kills, caused his liquid core to churn violently.
Dark blue specks of spirit lightning crackled across his skin, and his meridians expanded by nearly thirty percent, glowing with a deep, pressurized light.
Peak of the Ninth Level Spirit Refining Realm—Achieved!
Railin opened his eyes, a faint, dark blue glow flickering deep within his pupils. He took a long, deep breath, feeling the absolute saturation of power coursing through his body. He was now at the absolute summit of the Spirit Refining stage, just half a step away from touching the Foundation Establishment realm.
He walked over to the center of the chamber, looking down at the glowing Blood-Core Flower.
With a careful flick of his fingers, Railin used a thread of precise spirit qi to sever the herb at its base, lifting the three-petaled red flower into his palm. He did not hesitate to consume it on the spot. He opened his mouth and swallowed the crimson flower whole.
THUMP!
An explosive, soothing warmth erupted in his stomach, spreading rich, blood-tempering essence throughout his newly expanded meridians. The Ashen Devouring Technique absorbed the herb's medicinal properties instantaneously, consolidating his peak Ninth Level base into a rock-solid foundation.
Railin swept the storage pouches left behind by the two dead disciples into his sleeve, retrieving thirty mid-grade spirit stones and a few high-grade defensive talismans.
He turned and walked out of the cave, sweeping his Shadow-Veiling Array Flags back into his pouch as he stepped out into the swirling crimson fog of the mountain.
His eyes turned toward the central basin, where the Blood-Mist Lake lay waiting.
"Peak Ninth Level is done," Railin whispered into the mountain wind, his voice cold and resolute. "Now... it is time to clear the lake.
See you in next chapter....