The Tomb of the Loveless Immortal was not a dark, scary place. It was blindingly white,
constructed from pale marble and lit by a sun that never set. It was beautiful, sterile, and utterly
lonely.
Su Mei walked through the silent halls. Her injuries from the Soul Refining Sect had healed, but
the scar on her arm remained—a constant reminder of the cost of carrying baggage.
Li Wei watched from the screen inside the Void Pagoda. The connection was clearer today; the
interference of the tomb seemed to amplify the signal rather than dampen it.
"System," Li Wei asked. "What is this place?"
[Analysis: The final resting place of Empress Wu Qing. She ascended 50,000 years ago
after slaughtering her entire clan to sever her Karmic ties. This is a heritage site for the
'Ruthless Dao'.]
Li Wei felt a chill. "Why is Su Mei here?"
[The Beneficiary seeks a method to increase her mental defense. The incident with the
Soul Refining Sect exposed her emotional vulnerability.]
Su Mei reached the central chamber. Floating on a pedestal of ice was a single jade slip. It
pulsed with a gray, monochromatic light.
Su Mei approached it. She didn't bow. She reached out and grasped the slip.
Hum.
The information flooded her mind.
Li Wei, possessing the Eye of Insight (the reward from the very first quest), saw the text overlay
appear on the screen. The System translated the ancient divine script instantly.
[Technique: The Heartless Sword Sutra.] [Grade: Heaven Rank (Forbidden).]
[Requirement: To master the first level, one must forget their childhood. To master the
second level, one must forget their parents. To master the final level, one must kill the
one they love most by their own hand.] [Effect: Grants absolute immunity to mental
attacks. Increases cultivation speed by 500%. Grants the ability to cut through the laws of
the universe.]
Li Wei stared at the requirements.
"Su Mei," he whispered. "Put it down. Burn it."
On the screen, Su Mei stood frozen. Her eyes were closed as she digested the information.
She saw the path. It was a highway to the peak. It was efficient. It was logical. It solved all her
problems. If she mastered this, no one could use Li Wei against her ever again. Because Li Wei
would just be meat.
She opened her eyes.
She looked at the slip.
Li Wei held his breath. Destroy it. Please, Mei'er. Choose us.
Su Mei's hand tightened around the jade slip. She didn't crush it.
She produced a box made of Soul-Locking Wood from her spatial ring. She placed the slip
inside the box gently, almost reverently. She sealed the box with three distinct restrictive
formations to ensure no one else could open it.
Then, she placed the box in the deepest corner of her personal storage space—right next to her She didn't learn it immediately. But she didn't throw it away.
She kept it.
"Why?" Li Wei asked the empty room.
[Analysis: It is a contingency plan.]
"I am the contingency?" Li Wei laughed, tears streaming down his face. "No. I am the sacrifice.
She is saving the knife for a rainy day."
Su Mei turned and walked out of the tomb. Her expression was lighter, as if a weight had been
lifted. Knowing she had a solution—even a terrible one—gave her peace.
She touched the Void Pagoda necklace.
"We are leaving, Li Wei," she said. "I found what I came for."
"I saw what you found," Li Wei said into the transmitter. He wanted to scream. He wanted to
accuse her.
But he stopped. If he screamed, he would be 'noisy'. If he was 'noisy', he was a distraction. And
if he was a distraction... she might decide to open the box sooner.
"Good," Li Wei said, his voice dead. "I hope it was useful."
"It was," Su Mei replied. "Very useful."
She flew into the sky, the gray box sitting in her pocket, ticking like a doomsday clock.