CHAPTER 31 — The Hidden Rot Within
Night draped Cloudsky Sect in silence, but beneath the calm surface, something foul writhed.
Elder Qiu moved like a ghost through the inner courtyards, his face twisted in a mixture of fear and determination. In his sleeve, a thin jade slip pulsed faintly — a demonic communication talisman linked to his true master.
The Abyssal Cult.
He had been placed inside Cloudsky Sect decades ago, waiting for instructions.
Tonight, those instructions arrived.
> "Awaken the gate."
"Destabilize the sect's defenses."
"The Abyssal Ancestor stirs. Make way for our return."
Qiu's hands trembled.
For a thousand years, the Abyssal Ancestor had slumbered beneath the world's boundary, and only the combined strength of all orthodox sects had kept him sealed. Now… cracks appeared.
And then came the Celestial pill.
A pill emitting tribulation lightning.
A pill capable of forging saints.
A pill that should not exist in this era.
To the demonic sect, it meant only one thing—
A threat powerful enough to prevent the Ancestor's awakening.
So Qiu was ordered to act.
Tonight.
---
1. Sabotage in the Shadows
Qiu approached the core formation hall, whispering incantations under his breath.
He pressed a blood-soaked talisman against the wall.
Buzz…
A ripple of demonic aura seeped into the protective arrays, corroding them.
Spirit veins shifted.
Qi fountains destabilized.
The sect's defensive formation flickered briefly—nearly imperceptible—but enough to weaken the mountain's protection by thirty percent.
Then he moved to the spiritual herb gardens, scattering a black powder that withered precious herbs, especially those used in formation repair and anti-demonic pills.
By the time he finished poisoning the last field, his forehead was drenched in sweat.
He muttered to himself:
"Damn that Lin Xuan… if his talent continues to grow, even the Ancestor will feel it. I cannot allow that boy to rise."
The Abyssal Sect had given him strict orders:
Learn the identity of the Celestial pill's creator
Kill them if possible
Leave a path for the demonic army to invade
But Qiu had failed to identify the alchemist.
And he feared what would happen if he returned empty-handed.
Thus—this final act.
---
2. The Interception
As Qiu rushed toward a secluded exit tunnel hidden beneath an abandoned pavilion, a voice cut through the night like steel scraping bone.
"Elder Qiu… where are you going?"
Qiu froze.
A man stepped out of the darkness—
broad-shouldered, armored in obsidian spirit plates, and wearing the emblem of the Sect Master's personal guard.
Guard Captain Feng Yaotian, foundation establishment peak, renowned for his loyalty and brutal strength.
Qiu's lips twisted.
"...You shouldn't be here."
Feng's hand rested on his saber.
"And you shouldn't be skulking around at midnight sabotaging formation nodes."
Qiu's smile faltered.
"You saw?"
"I follow orders. The Sect Master asked me to keep an eye on you ever since your strange behavior began."
He lowered his stance.
"It seems his instincts were correct."
Qiu's eyes flared with killing intent.
"Then you die first."
---
3. Battle in the Ruined Courtyard
BOOM!!
The two clashed instantly.
Qiu unleashed whirlwinds of corrupted qi, each strike filled with demonic poison that sizzled against Feng's blade.
Feng retaliated with a saber technique that split the ground, sending a wave of force that shattered the surrounding buildings.
They exchanged dozens of blows, neither holding back.
Feng snarled:
"Why betray Cloudsky after decades of loyalty?! After everything the Sect Master gave you?!"
Qiu coughed black blood.
"Loyalty? HA!"
He spat at the ground.
"You fools never realized the truth. I was never yours."
He raised his hand, revealing a demonic brand burning beneath his sleeve.
"I am the Abyss. My allegiance has always been to the Ancestor."
Feng's eyes widened.
"A spy…"
Qiu laughed coldly.
"And soon, the sky will fall upon Cloudsky Sect."
With one final burst of corrupted qi, he pierced Feng's chest.
Feng staggered—but instead of falling, he grinned fiercely.
"...Checkmate."
Qiu froze.
A second blade slid clean through his back—
Feng's spiritual clone, hidden in the shadows.
Qiu coughed violently, collapsing to his knees.
"You… wretch…"
"We saw through your act too late," Feng whispered, "but late is better than never."
He raised his saber to finish the traitor.
---
4. Qiu's Final Act of Treachery
But Elder Qiu smiled.
A mad, knowing smile.
"Even in death… I serve the Abyss."
He slammed his bloody palm onto the ground.
The earth glowed with ancient, corrupted runes.
A hidden demonic formation flared to life—
one Qiu had been preparing for decades.
"You fool…" Qiu hissed.
"You cannot stop what comes next."
Feng's expression shifted from triumph… to horror.
The moment Qiu's blood touched the activation node—
the formation exploded with dark light.
The mountain shook.
A tear ripped open in space.
A gateway of screaming abyssal qi erupted.
Feng roared:
"NO—!!!"
But it was too late.
Dozens—then hundreds—of demonic cultivators surged through the rift, shrieking with bloodlust.
They overwhelmed the guards in seconds.
Feng managed to cut down three before a spear pierced his heart.
The traitor Qiu collapsed with a wicked grin.
"Cloudsky… will fall."
His eyes dimmed.
The last thing he heard was the laughter of abyssal soldiers flooding into the sect he had betrayed.
---
5. A New Wave of Darkness
The demonic cultivators spread like fire, tearing through unprepared defensive lines.
Screams echoed through the night.
Alarm bells rang.
Disciples scrambled as an unexpected army broke through the heart of the sect.
And high above—
A dark ripple in the sky signaled something far worse.
The Abyssal Ancestor's will brushed against the world.
> "Make way."
"I awaken."
"Slaughter them all."
The invasion had begun.