Midnight cloaked the Searing Cloud Sect, but the embers of the Elder Han's fall still crackled through the air.
Liu Shen stood atop the eastern watchtower, wind threading through his robes, flame sigil pulsing beneath his skin.
From the Hollow Vault's mirror, eleven names remained.
But now, something else disturbed him—an anomaly.
> "One name wasn't an elder…"
He pulled the mental projection from the Mirror again.
Between the names of council heads and war elders…
was a name etched faintly, almost hidden:
> Xue Linyao.
A disciple.
---
The Frostwind Courtyard
Xue Linyao was a prodigy from the outer sect, known for her frost spiritual root and perfect dual cultivation compatibility.
She had gained favor among the elders for her discipline and beauty—but remained quiet, never seeking power.
Liu Shen narrowed his eyes as he approached her secluded courtyard.
> "Why would a mere disciple appear on a pact made by Sovereigns?"
As he arrived, the wind shifted.
The frost formations around her home shivered.
Then—crack!—a talisman activated.
> Frost Seal Array: Moonlit Lotus.
A trap.
> "So… she knew I'd come."
Liu Shen spun backward, the frost blooming like an icy bloom of death across the soil.
> "Very few disciples could craft that," he muttered.
Then she stepped out.
Xue Linyao.
Wearing robes of soft blue and silver. Eyes calm. Hair flowing like silk.
But her aura... was too refined.
Too old.
---
Confrontation
> "I wondered when you'd find me," she said softly.
Liu Shen circled her.
> "You weren't born when the pact was made."
> "Who are you really?"
She smiled.
> "Xue Linyao died the night of the celestial storm twelve years ago."
> "I took her place. A wandering soul, sealed within the pact. Given new flesh… to monitor the sect for signs of rebellion."
Liu Shen's flame coiled.
> "A vessel."
> "You're one of the Celestial Agents."
> "How many others are hidden in disciples' skin?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she pulled a silver flute from her robe.
When she played it, the frost around the courtyard ignited with celestial symbols—not demonic, not human.
> "I was told to observe," she whispered.
"But if you crossed the line… I was told to kill."
---
Frozen Flame
She moved like moonlight—fast, elegant, deceptive.
The frost became spears, raining from all sides.
But Liu Shen smiled grimly.
> "Frost may freeze flame… but sovereign fire devours everything."
He raised both hands.
> Demonic Art – Ninth Flame Bloom.
A serpent of black-red fire exploded around him, melting the spears mid-air, bending the frost into mist.
He flashed forward—appeared behind her.
She tried to parry—he shattered her flute.
His palm burned into her chest, forcing the soul within to reveal its true face.
> "Show me," he growled.
---
Celestial Spirit Revealed
From her body emerged a translucent figure—robed in starlight, mask glowing with heavenly glyphs.
> "You think you've won, Demon Sovereign?"
> "You've merely lit the pyre. The Heavens will burn your world before you reach the peak again."
Liu Shen's voice turned to ice.
> "Then I'll burn the sky first."
With both hands, he ripped the spirit from her body and sealed it in a Flame Serpent Talisman, forged using his sovereign essence.
> "One more thread cut," he muttered.
Xue Linyao's body collapsed—her original soul, long gone.
He bowed briefly in silent respect.
> "Forgive me. You were just another pawn."
---
In the Shadows
Far away, in the starlit citadel of the Heaven's Will Sect, the same masked figures sat in meditation.
One opened their eyes.
> "The Linyao vessel has been burned."
> "The Crimson Serpent is accelerating. Far faster than projected."
Another voice replied:
> "Then begin the second phase."
> "Send the Archdisciple. Tell him… the time to ascend is now."