The sect was calm again—for about ten minutes.
Then a spirit crane descended from the sky. Its feathers shimmered with imperial gold.
Everyone stared.
"Either we're famous," Yun Xi muttered, "or in big trouble."
At the Sect Gate
The envoy stepped down.
Golden robes. Silver fan. And golden pupils—a trait only seen in members of the Heavenly Serpent Court: the Emperor's secret enforcers.
"Twilight Shadow Sect?" he said. "I bring imperial decree. And a gift."
Shen Mo narrowed his eyes.
"What gift?"
"Recognition."
[System Notification:]
Story Flag Triggered: "Royal Acknowledgement Arc"Threat Level: Mild (For Now)
⚠ Warning: Your rise has attracted the Emperor's gaze.Hidden Faction: Heavenly Serpent Court marked the sect for Observation.
Inside the Sect Hall
The envoy unfolded a golden scroll. "The Emperor extends informal recognition of your sect's growing value in the southern provinces. You may now host inter-sect exchanges… and your sect name will be listed on the Border Cultivation Registry."
"What do you want in return?" Shen Mo asked.
The envoy smiled faintly.
"Nothing now. But His Majesty enjoys watching rising dragons. And… seeing who burns out first."
He bowed and turned to leave.
"Also… do feed the chicken better. She attacked my guards."
Moonchick strutted by proudly.
After the Envoy Departed
Yun Xi frowned. "This isn't a reward."
"No," Shen Mo said. "It's a spotlight."
Han Li blinked. "But that's good, right?"
Shen Mo didn't answer right away.
He watched the golden crane vanish into the sky.
"I didn't want this," he muttered.
"Didn't want what?" Yun Xi asked.
"To be seen."
She didn't press.
But that night, Shen Mo stood on the rooftop alone, looking toward the northern mountains.
Where he knew others like him might still remember the name Silent Thorn.
Meanwhile – Sect Training Grounds
Each disciple was training:
☯ Yun Xi
She stood at the edge of a cliff, drawing overlapping formation lines in midair.
"The wind here is chaotic… But maybe I can trap chaos instead of resisting it."
[Trait Progression: Insightful Formations]→ New Concept Discovered: "Sympathy Arrays" – Formation strength increases with emotional intent.
🍜 Lin Fan
He was trying to infuse cooking oil with spirit flames.
"If I get this right… meals will heal and explode!"
Boom. Explosion. Singed eyebrows.
"Worth it."
[Trait Progression: Culinary Alchemist]→ Recipe Unlocked: "Volcanic Recovery Soup" – Heals minor injuries and boosts qi flow.
🐔 Wei Feng
Meditated quietly, Moonchick sitting on his shoulder. Several wild foxes had gathered around.
"They're not scared of me anymore," he whispered.
[Trait Progression: Beast Kinship]→ Passive Aura Activated: Low-tier beasts trust you instinctively.
⚔ Xue Rong
Punched a boulder. It cracked.
"Still soft."
Shen Mo approached. "You broke it with zero killing intent. Impressive."
"I didn't want to kill the rock."
[Trait Progression: Controlled Strength]→ Path Option: Martial Body – Begin refining bones with external qi.
Back to Shen Mo
He returned to his chamber.
The ring pulsed again.
This time, it whispered:
"Seven stars stir. One rises. And the serpent coils."
He frowned.
"So. The Emperor wants a game... Fine."
He placed his hand over a new scroll: a secret technique buried in Li Ziqing's recent batch.
A cultivation method that combined array logic with spiritual weapon awakening.
Shen Mo smiled.
"Let's upgrade."
[System Notification:]
Shen Mo Cultivation: Level 6 Martial Disciple → Level 7Breakthrough Type: Silent Surge
New Passive Unlocked: "Shadow Calculation" – Automatically detects weak points in formations, minds, and systems.