The sun had already climbed high, its light pouring through the open hall and illuminating the entire banquet ground.
In that light, a female figure stood quietly at the entrance of the hall.
Her presence was impossible to sense—as if she didn't exist at all.
She was none other than Chu Jingxia, who had come here at her grandfather's request.
Letting out a soft sigh, Jingxia murmured to herself,
"This Fang Lin… he's really a good person. I thought that after awakening an A-grade aptitude, he would become arrogant like the others—cold and unpleasant. But his heart is unexpectedly pure.
To think he even managed to soothe a child whom the entire Rukhan lineage couldn't help…"
Her thoughts drifted.
I left the hall when the families began to disperse, she recalled,
but I was told to keep an eye on him. That's why I stayed outside, hiding my presence by turning invisible.
Her gaze then shifted toward Tian Xueya, who stood nearby.
Jingxia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Still… Fang Lin is no different from other boys when it comes to beautiful girls," she muttered.
"Perhaps he only looks good on the surface."
Jingxia smacked her own forehead lightly, annoyed.
"Why am I even thinking about him?" she muttered.
"I'll just do what I was told… then leave and continue my refinement training."
Her eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Looks like they're heading out now."
At that moment, Fang Lin, Vren, Mu Chen, and Xueya walked forward together.
They passed straight through the space where Jingxia's invisible body was standing.
The instant they brushed past—
Pshhh—
The hidden form dispersed, dissolving into the air like a wisp of black mist, fading without leaving any trace behind.
*********
Far away from there, inside a secluded room—
A girl suddenly frowned as blood began to trickle from her nose.
She wiped it with a cloth already stained with dried blood marks and spoke in an irritated tone,
"Tch… my invisible clone collided again."
"That's the second failure since morning."
Her eyes darkened slightly as she folded the cloth.
Jingxia stared at the bloodstains on the cloth in her hand, her brows slowly knitting together.
"So this is my last chance to use that technique…"
She sat down cross-legged and took out a pill from her sleeve. It was deep crimson in color, its surface faintly shimmering under the light.
Bloodshade Phantom Pill…
Grandfather had given her three of these—but now, only one remained.
She fell into deep thought.
Grandfather said this pill can only be used once. After consuming it, the user can create an invisible clone that lasts for twenty-four hours. But the clone is partially soul-linked… If another living soul accidentally collides with it, the backlash will return to the user.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
Once the clone fails, it disperses into black mist and vanishes.
Jingxia's gaze darkened.
Our family never relies on pills like this. We cultivate techniques directly… then why was this kept as a secret? Was this pill created by someone else?
A faint unease rose in her heart.
I'll have to ask Grandfather about this.
Suddenly, another thought struck her.
"…Was I noticed?"
Cold sweat formed on her temples.
It seems I'll need to be even more careful from now on.
The room fell silent once more, with only her steady breathing echoing in the air.
After that, Chu Jingxia raised the pill in her hand and placed it into her mouth.
"Fine… I'll go for the last attempt as well."
A sharp determination appeared in her eyes, cold and unwavering.
The moment the Bloodshade Phantom Pill slid down her throat, Chu Jingxia's body stiffened.
A burning sensation exploded from her abdomen, spreading through her meridians like liquid fire mixed with ice. Her breath turned shallow as crimson veins briefly surfaced beneath her pale skin, pulsing once… twice… then sinking back as if they had never existed.
She clenched her fists.
Her consciousness felt as if it were being gently peeled apart—not torn, but divided. A strange dual awareness bloomed in her mind, one rooted in her physical body, the other floating, light and unstable.
The room darkened.
No—
it was not the room.
A shadow was forming.
Behind her, the air twisted silently, like black mist being woven by invisible threads. Slowly, a second figure emerged—identical in shape, posture, and presence.
An invisible clone.
It did not cast a shadow.
It did not disturb the air.
Even its existence felt unreal, as if it stood half a step outside the world itself.
Chu Jingxia opened her eyes.
At the same instant, the clone did the same.
Her vision split.
She could see the room from her own eyes—
and at the same time, she could see from the clone's perspective, standing behind her.
A faint trace of blood slipped from the corner of her nose.
Twenty-four hours… she reminded herself calmly.
One mistake, and the backlash will hit my soul directly.
The clone dissolved into mist without a sound, slipping through the wall like smoke and vanishing into the distance.
Chu Jingxia wiped the blood away, her expression cold and focused.
"This time… I won't fail."
*********
A faint black mist suddenly rose before Fang Lin's eyes, drifting upward as if it had been disturbed by an unseen force.
He instinctively reached out, his fingers brushing through the mist.
"Where did this black mist come from?" Fang Lin said in surprise. "It wasn't here just a moment ago."
His brows furrowed as he turned to look at Xueya.
Xueya's expression also turned serious. Her gaze lingered on the place where the mist had vanished.
"This is very unusual," she said calmly. "Mist doesn't appear out of nowhere… not like this. It feels as if someone was watching us."
Mu Chen's relaxed mood instantly disappeared.
"Watching us?" he said sharply. "Who would want to keep an eye on us at a time like this?"
The air around them grew subtly heavier.
Though the mist had already dispersed, an unspoken feeling remained—
Xueya's eyes narrowed slightly as a thought surfaced in her mind.
"Could this be their doing…?" she wondered.
"If so, what exactly is their objective?"
Though her expression remained calm, a faint trace of vigilance settled deep within her gaze.
Fang Qinxian also saw the fading black mist. His fingers slowly tightened inside his sleeve as a cold thought surfaced:
"So they have already started moving… and Fang Lin is their target. This is no longer curiosity—this is pressure."
Fang Hanbo and Su'er's faces changed as well. Su'er held Fang Hanbo's arm tightly, her voice low and uneasy,
"Who would dare do this openly? First our daughter… now Fang Lin too. Are we being pushed on purpose?"
Fang Hanbo's jaw hardened as he replied,
"No. This time is different. Fang Lin stands in the light now. Whoever is watching will have to think twice."
Kael Rukhan stepped forward, his hunters standing silently behind him like shadows from the mountains. He cupped his fist toward Fang Qinxian and spoke in a heavy, restrained tone,
"Family Head Fang, this is not a coincidence. Once strength appears, pressure follows. Some people in the clan do not wish to see your branch rise… especially after today's awakening."
The hall remained quiet, but an invisible tension spread—
Fang Qinxian looked at Kael Rukhan and said, "Yes… you are right. This seems to be happening because something like this has never occurred in a branch family before." His gaze shifted toward Fang Lin. "Fang Lin, will you come here for a moment?"
Without hesitation, Fang Lin walked straight toward Fang Qinxian. Before reaching him, he glanced back once and said, "You all wait here. I'll be back quickly."
Fang Qinxian's eyes narrowed with determination as he muttered to himself, "Now I must use that artifact…"
Kael Rukhan, standing nearby, felt a flicker of curiosity at Fang Qinxian's words.