...
The boat floated silently across the black lake, gliding like a shard of darkness itself.
But the three atop it… were no ordinary cultivators.
A baleful aura surrounded them.. inky and thick.. like the shadows of butchered souls that had never found peace. The Qi that leaked from their bodies wasn't pure; it was corrupted, tangled with strange vibrations of life and death.
Ji Ji's body stiffened. His instincts screamed: these weren't just disciples of a great sect… they were walking phantoms on the edge of the underworld.
One of them whispered, his voice deep, chiseled from stone:
> "The Bloodheart Flower is about to bloom… I can feel it pulsing beneath us."
The second, tallest of the three, with eyes the color of burned ash, nodded slowly:
> "Five years of watering it with the Qi of slain souls… If it doesn't bloom now, I'll crush it with my own hands."
The third, youngest yet most sinister, let out a slow, chilling laugh:
> "Once its seven petals open… don't forget our agreement."
He paused, then added:
> "We divide the essence equally."
A heavy silence fell.. not peace, but the kind that foreshadows betrayal.
Ji Ji, hidden behind the rocks, felt a chill crawl up his spine.
> "The Bloodheart Flower?!"
He had heard of it through the memories of this body's original soul… A rare herb that only grew where Yin and Yang clashed, nourished by the blood of wandering souls. Its essence could push a cultivator from the fourth layer of Qi Condensation all the way to the sixth.. or burn them alive from within if their spiritual foundation was too weak.
He reached slowly for the dagger strapped to his waist.. not to fight, but to feel something solid in his grasp.
> "I can't interfere now… but even one petal…"
He swallowed.
This wasn't just a treasure.. it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
…
Despite only being at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, and though the aura surrounding these three was clearly far beyond that level, Ji Ji didn't back down.
In a world ruled by power, only those who risked everything could rise above the bottom.
> "If I miss this chance, when will another come?"
Those words echoed in his mind.. words that had defined his will since entering this world.
From the body's memories, he knew many had fallen not from weakness alone.. but from fear, hesitation… cowardice.
> "Those who fear risk… stay in the dirt."
Ji Ji looked again at the boat, now drifting slower.
He held his breath and crept forward, careful not to make a sound.
The lake was unnaturally still.. as if holding its breath for what was about to happen.
The three were clearly visible now. But beside them… something else had begun to form.
A crimson whirlpool. Small.. yet growing.
A vortex of blood-tinged Qi condensed at the center of the lake.
Ji Ji whispered:
> "It's the flower… it's beginning."
His grip tightened on the dagger.. not to strike, but to escape swiftly if necessary.
The risk was immense.. but the reward?
Something that could rewrite his fate.
From the center of the lake, a crimson flower slowly emerged.. its petals gleaming as if bathed in fresh blood. Its scent swept through the air like a fog.. enticing, numbing both soul and body.
A chill ran down Ji Ji's spine.
The Bloodheart Flower had appeared.
Its blood Qi pulsed visibly, as if alive.
On the boat, the three cultivators froze for a heartbeat.. then their eyes widened with uncontrollable hunger.
> "Hahaha! I didn't think it would ripen so quickly! Enough essence here for three pills!"
The second sneered, fire burning in his eyes:
> "With these pills… reaching peak Qi Gathering won't be a dream anymore."
The third smirked:
> "It's like the heavens themselves are rewarding us. So easy…"
But in the cultivation world, nothing comes "easy."
BOOOOOOOM!
A deafening blast shook the lake's surface, followed by a dark red wave crashing into the boat.
From beneath the waters, a demonic serpent burst forth.. massive, its scales black streaked with pulsing red veins, eyes glowing like infernal embers.
Its maw opened wide and it roared.. a scream like a death knell across the lake.
> "A demonic beast?! How did we not sense it?!"
one of the three yelled, panic lacing his voice.
> "It's at peak Qi Gathering! Retreat.. NOW!"
cried the second, forming seals in the air.
But it was too late.
They were too close.
The beast had no intention of letting any of them go.
As they dodged and countered, Ji Ji watched from the shadows.. his eyes calculating, not afraid.
In chaos… true opportunities arise.
…
The sky above the lake darkened with swirling energies. The air thickened with the suffocating stench of blood and demonic Qi.
The serpent did not hesitate.
It whipped its massive body and lashed out at the nearest cultivator.. the one clad in a red robe.
> "Hmph!"
the cultivator grunted, summoning a barrier of flame.
But the blow shattered it like glass, sending him flying into the lake with a spray of blood.
The remaining two split apart. One shouted:
> "We've got no choice.. form the array!"
But the beast didn't give them time.
It unleashed a screech and lunged again.. water exploded around it, along with a wave of corrupt, poisonous Qi.
One of the cultivators struck back.. a flying sword infused with Wind Severance Technique slicing through the air.
Tsssshhh!
The blade struck its hide… but didn't pierce. Sparks flew, and the weapon bounced off.
The first cultivator reemerged from the water, bloodied and torn.. but still breathing.
Barely.
And Ji Ji, still hidden, still unseen, watched every move.. heart pounding, mind racing.
In this hellish chaos… the real path to power might open.
•••••
End of Chapter