Five days.
That's all the time Zhen Zenin had before the Blood Moon rose—and death came hunting.
But he wasn't waiting.
Inside his hidden chamber, Zenin sat in deep meditation. The Demonic Scripture he'd unlocked from the shattered pendant spun like a vortex in his dantian, absorbing spiritual energy with ravenous hunger.
The flame surrounding him shifted from white to pale blue, deeper and more violent.
Crack!
A shockwave burst from his core as his cultivation soared to Qi Gathering - Stage 6.
He exhaled slowly, feeling the strength rush through his limbs. The pressure that once weighed down on his soul was lifting.
"This power... is only a sliver of what I once had," he whispered. "But it's enough for now."
---
Elsewhere, in a candlelit room deep within the Raven Sect's hidden base, Fang studied a rough sketch of Zenin's movements.
"He stays within the academy," one scout reported. "But something's changed. His energy is… darker."
Fang's eyes narrowed.
"He's awakening," he muttered. "The soul of Xiong Shen stirs within that body."
A cloaked elder appeared behind him. "Should we alert the inner court?"
"No," Fang snapped. "We end this before they interfere."
---
At the academy, Zenin stood atop the training cliffs, watching the distant mountains burn orange beneath the setting sun.
A young cultivator approached nervously. "Zhen Zenin, you're… invited to tomorrow's sparring match. Elite Class only."
Zenin gave a slight nod. "Tell them I'll come."
He turned away, his thoughts cold.
Let them see a glimpse of what's to come.
---
Later that night, he returned home. His "mother" and "sister" were eating quietly. Neither looked at him.
But he didn't need their acceptance anymore.
He would carve a new path—with flame, steel, and death.
---