Blood Ancestor's Tomb, Cursed Plateau
The black sun hung unmoving in the sky, bleeding rays of crimson light onto the ancient altar at the heart of the Zhou clan's ancestral land. Obsidian pillars carved with blood scriptures pulsed with demonic rhythm as the air thickened—heavy with old sin and older power.
One by one, shadows tore open across the scarred earth.
First to arrive was Zhou Ji, robed in stitched skin and soaked in the scent of ash and agony. He knelt immediately, blade laid across his palms like an offering.
"My sin is fresh, my soul unclean. Ancestor, I return."
Then came a thundering growl from the sky as beasts of nightmare stampeded around the plateau. Zhou Heiyan, mounted on a three-headed blood wolf, dismounted with a roar of laughter.
"Still as gloomy as ever, Ji! Ancestor, your beast returns—stronger, hungrier."
From behind a veil of pink fog, Zhou Ru stepped out, her charm intact even with blood running from her lips. She glanced sideways and smirked.
"You're all still so dramatic."
Zhou Fen appeared in silence. No wind. No sound. One blink—she was standing atop the altar, sketching fresh runes on the air with a dagger dipped in her own blood.
"No time for chatter. The formations here are ancient. I must learn them."
Then a sudden venomous hiss coiled through the wind.
Zhou Ying, veiled in a shroud of green smoke, stepped out with three poison vipers wrapped around her arms like jewelry. She bowed low, lips curled in reverence.
"The venom in my veins stirs, Ancestor. Your call was clear."
Last came Zhou Mo, dragged in by shadow chains conjured from his own cursed soul contracts. His robes jingled with coin purses—each filled not with gold, but crystallized souls.
"Business can wait," he muttered, eyes flickering with greed. "This… this is more important."
They gathered in a circle, all eyes turning to the center as the altar cracked open.
From the abyss below, a figure rose—cloaked in shadows, adorned in an imperial robe soaked in a thousand sacrifices. His face was ageless. Cruel. Serene.
He opened his eyes.
"Children… you've answered."
They all dropped to their knees, some weeping, some laughing, some too in awe to breathe.
"I see your sins have ripened well."
He raised his hand, and red lightning spread across the entire cursed plateau. With a gesture, the ancient system awakened:
[Demonic Bloodline Awakening Initiated…]
[Zhou Clan Revival Protocol: Phase One]
[Sinline Integration in progress…]
[Blood Servant 001: Ji Yuan — Binding Complete]
[Clan Territory Locked: The Cursed Plateau]
Suddenly, from the shadow behind him, a man stepped forward—once a mortal, now reborn by Zhou Yuan's hand.
Ji Yuan, the first of 1000 blood servants, knelt by the ancestor's side.
"Master, I live to serve."
Zhou Yuan placed his hand on Ji Yuan's head, eyes scanning his children.
"We begin again. Not as prey. Not in hiding. But as kings. Rulers of sin."
He gestured outward.
"From this day… the world will remember the name Zhou. Every sect, every dynasty, every sacred land… they will bow, or burn."
The descendants raised their heads.
Zhou Ji whispered, "Let the cleansing begin."
And from above, the cursed sky cracked with blood-red lightning—signaling the return of the forgotten clan.
The blood vow had been answered.