Kai woke to sunlight streaming through paper windows and Lin Wei sitting beside his bed.
"Brother Kai!" Lin Wei's face showed real relief. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"
"Like I got trampled by spiritual beasts," Kai said, which was partly true. His body ached, his head throbbed, and his cultivation base felt unsteady, side effects of forced breakthrough, according to the healer's diagnosis.
In reality, his cultivation was perfectly stable. But appearing weak and shaken served his purposes.
"What happened out there?" Lin Wei asked quietly. "The whole sect is talking about it. Transport ambushed, everyone dead, and you somehow survived and broke through to Qi Gathering realm."
Kai repeated his story, adding details that made it more believable. The overwhelming attack, the desperate escape, the moment of breakthrough when death seemed certain. Lin Wei listened closely, sometimes asking questions.
"And Zhao Ming's group? They were supposed to be training nearby. Did you see them?"
"I heard fighting in the forest," Kai said. "After I escaped the ambush. I think they might have tried to help, but..." He let his voice trail off, letting Lin Wei fill in the rest.
"The search party found bodies," Lin Wei said grimly. "Three disciples, dead for what looks like weeks based on how they've decayed. But they were wearing sect robes that match Zhao Ming's group. Senior Disciple Chen Yun thinks they met something in the eastern forest, corrupted spirits or worse."
[COVER STORY: Accepted]
[SECT CONCLUSION: Multiple tragic deaths from different causes]
[SUSPICION LEVEL: Minimal - Consistent with eastern forest dangers]
"That's terrible," Kai said, putting the right amount of horror in his voice. "Brother Zhao and his friends... they weren't always kind, but they didn't deserve that."
Lin Wei nodded solemnly. "Death comes for us all in the cultivation world. That's why we have to look out for each other, Brother Kai. I'm glad you survived."
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Lin Wei's expression shifted to something more thoughtful.
"You broke through to Qi Gathering First Stage. That means you'll qualify for the monthly evaluation easily now. Some of the other outer disciples are already talking about you differently."
"What do you mean?"
"You're not the weak farm boy anymore. You survived an attack that killed three guards and three Foundation Building cultivators. And you achieved breakthrough through combat pressure." Lin Wei smiled slightly. "That's the kind of thing that builds reputation, Brother Kai."
[SOCIAL STATUS: Updated]
[SECT PERCEPTION: Weak farm boy → Survival-focused cultivator with potential]
[OPPORTUNITIES: Increased]
Kai took in that information. In a world where strength and reputation mattered, surviving when stronger disciples died carried weight. It established him as more than just a lucky survivor, it suggested hidden potential.
Which was exactly what he needed. Strong enough to be respected, not so strong as to draw unwanted attention from powerful disciples or elders.
"I just want to keep my head down and cultivate, Brother Lin," Kai said. "I don't need reputation. I need strength."
"In the cultivation world, reputation is strength," Lin Wei countered. "But I understand. Rest now. I'll make sure the others know you need time to recover."
After Lin Wei left, Kai lay back and stared at the ceiling. The cover story had worked. The sect believed the transport ambush and Zhao Ming's deaths were separate events. His breakthrough was blamed on combat pressure rather than death cultivation.
He'd removed three threats, gained massive power, and positioned himself as a survivor rather than a killer.
[MISSION COMPLETE: Survive First Month]
[STATUS: 21/30 days completed]
[BONUS OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED: Eliminate primary threats early]
[CALCULATING REWARDS...]
[REWARDS GRANTED:]
[1000 Death Points (Mission reward)]
[Basic Shadow Techniques (Mission reward)]
[Bonus: Advanced Shadow Movement Technique]
[Bonus: Death Sense Enhancement]
[Total Death Points: 1,656]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED:]
[Shadow Meld - Become one with shadows, near-perfect concealment]
[Death Mark - Mark a target for tracking and eventual harvest]
[Shadow Puppetry - Manipulate shadows to create temporary constructs]
Kai reviewed the new abilities with interest. Shadow Meld would let him move unseen through the sect. Death Mark could identify future targets and track their condition. Shadow Puppetry offered combat options beyond direct fighting.
He was becoming more than just a cultivator. He was becoming what the system had promised, a Shadow Sovereign, someone who commanded death and shadow itself.
[SHADOW SOVEREIGN SYSTEM - STATUS UPDATE]
Name: Kai Chen
Realm: Qi Gathering - First Stage (Recently achieved)
Shadow Energy: 150/150
Death Points: 1,656
Notable Kills: 3 (Zhao Ming, Wang Shu, Liu Jian)
Sect Reputation: Rising survivor
Cover Status: Intact
[ADVISORY:]
[Your cultivation advancement is significantly ahead of schedule]
[Recommend: Slow visible progress to avoid suspicion]
[True strength should exceed displayed strength by significant margin]
[Strategic deception will ensure long-term survival]
That made sense. Kai had always believed in keeping advantages hidden until needed. Let the sect think he was a lucky survivor who'd barely broken through to Qi Gathering First Stage. Meanwhile, he'd continue cultivating death energy in secret, growing stronger while everyone underestimated him.
The door to the medical pavilion opened and Senior Disciple Chen Yun entered. His expression was unreadable as he looked at Kai.
"Outer Disciple Kai Chen. You've caused quite a stir."
Kai immediately sat up and bowed his head respectfully. "This junior apologizes, Senior Disciple Chen Yun. The transport mission..."
"Was attacked by bandits. Yes, I've read the reports." Chen Yun studied him carefully. "Three guards dead. Two prisoners dead. And somehow you, the weakest member of the escort, survived."
There was an edge to his voice that made Kai's instincts warn him. Chen Yun suspected something.
"This junior was fortunate, Senior Disciple. When the attack came, this junior fled into the forest rather than fighting. Cowardice saved this junior's life while braver disciples died."
The self-criticism seemed to ease Chen Yun's suspicion slightly. "Cowardice and luck. And yet you broke through to Qi Gathering realm in the process."
"Fear pushed this junior beyond normal limits, Senior Disciple. This junior's breakthrough is unstable and weak. The healer said it will take time to properly stabilize."
Chen Yun nodded slowly. "See that you do. An unstable foundation will ruin your future advancement." He turned to leave, then paused. "Zhao Ming and his group went missing the same night. You didn't see them?"
"This junior heard fighting in the forest, Senior Disciple. But this junior was running for his life and didn't stop to investigate."
"Wise choice. The eastern forest claimed three Foundation Building cultivators. It would have certainly killed a fleeing outer disciple." Chen Yun's eyes were cold. "Remember that, Outer Disciple Kai. Sometimes running away is the smartest thing you can do."
After he left, Kai breathed out slowly. That had been a test. Chen Yun suspected something but couldn't prove it. And Kai's story of cowardice and escape actually worked in his favor. It explained why he survived while stronger disciples died.
[INTERROGATION: Passed]
[CHEN YUN SUSPICION: Moderate but unproven]
[COVER STORY: Holding]
Kai settled back into the bed. He had nine more days until the monthly evaluation, a stable cover story, and a massive reserve of death points to spend on advancement.
The real question now was how to continue growing stronger without revealing his true cultivation method. Death cultivation required death energy, which meant he needed to find more sources. Natural deaths, justified kills, or accidents that helped him.
In a sect of thousands of disciples where power determined survival, opportunities wouldn't be hard to find.
The cultivation world was harsh and cruel. People died every day from training accidents, evaluation failures, punishment assignments, or simply because they were weak.
Kai just needed to be present when they did.