The Midnight Bridge arched over the Spirit River like a spine of silver. Fog clung to the water, obscuring the dark currents below.
Fairy Liuli stood in the center of the bridge. She wore a cloak over her shimmering robes, her face pale. In her hand, she clutched a jade talisman—the key to the Heavenly Dao Vault.
She checked the time. Midnight.
"You are punctual," a voice whispered from the fog.
Mo Tian materialized sitting on the bridge railing, swinging his legs. He was still in his "Young Master Nether" disguise, but his aura was unmasked—cold, heavy, and mocking.
"Here," Liuli threw the talisman. "The Metal Pearl is in the Vault of Ten Thousand Swords. This key opens the outer array. The inner array requires... a pure heart."
Mo Tian caught the talisman. "A pure heart? Or a specific bloodline?"
"The bloodline of the Sword Saint," Liuli said. "Which you do not have."
"I have something better," Mo Tian hopped down. "I have you."
Liuli froze. "What? No! I agreed to give you the map. I did not agree to help you steal it!"
"The Vault is guarded by the Sword Spirit. If I enter alone, it self-destructs," Mo Tian walked closer, towering over her. "But you... you are the Holy Daughter. The Sword Spirit knows you. It trusts you."
"I won't do it," Liuli stepped back. "Kill the hostages. Kill me. I will not desecrate the Saint's legacy."
Mo Tian sighed. "Always with the dramatics."
He reached out and grabbed her wrist.
[System: Dao Plunder - Resonance Link.]
He didn't hurt her. He pushed his own Qi into her meridians.
"Look at yourself, Liuli," Mo Tian whispered. "Your Glass Heart Physique reflects everything, right? Look at my Qi."
Liuli gasped. She felt his energy. It wasn't just evil. It was... sad. It was angry. It was a screaming void of a man who had been erased by the Heavens and crawled back out of spite.
"You..." Liuli's eyes widened. "You are fighting the Heavenly Dao itself."
"The Heavenly Dao wants to enslave us all to 'Fate'," Mo Tian said. "I offer freedom. Now, come. Open the door. And I promise, no one dies tonight."
Liuli looked at his purple eyes. For the first time, her Glass Heart didn't see a monster. It saw a King.
She lowered her head. "If you kill a single guard... I will detonate my core."
"Deal," Mo Tian smiled.
The Vault of Ten Thousand Swords
They moved like ghosts. Liuli used her status to bypass the outer patrols. They reached the massive steel doors of the Vault deep beneath the Heavenly Dao Sect's embassy.
Liuli placed her hand on the door.
"Open."
The doors groaned. The array recognized the Holy Daughter's signature.
Inside, thousands of swords floated in the air. In the center, resting on a pedestal of meteor iron, was the Metal Pearl.
It was a sphere of liquid silver, radiating an aura so sharp it cut the air around it.
"The Metal Pearl," Mo Tian whispered. "Essence of the West."
He walked forward.
Suddenly, the swords turned. All ten thousand blades pointed at him.
"Intruder!" The Sword Spirit—a metallic projection—manifested.
"Liuli," Mo Tian didn't stop walking. "Tell him."
Liuli stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Stand down, Spirit. He is... he is authorized."
The Spirit paused. It looked at the Holy Daughter. It looked at Mo Tian.
"Authorized?" The Spirit buzzed. "His soul is black."
"He is the... new custodian," Liuli lied. The words tasted like ash. "By order of the Sect Master."
The Spirit hesitated. The Glass Heart Physique made Liuli incapable of lying convincingly to humans, but Spirits read Intent. And Liuli's intent was to save lives (the hostages).
"Understood," The Spirit retreated.
Mo Tian grabbed the Metal Pearl.
It bit his hand. Liquid metal flowed over his skin, trying to turn him into a statue.
"Devour."
Mo Tian's Chaos Core spun. The Horizon Sword Intent he had stolen earlier flared up, welcoming the Metal Pearl.
The silver liquid was sucked into his pores.
[Acquired: Metal Pearl] [Progress: 1/5]
Mo Tian turned to Liuli. He tossed the jade key back to her.
"Pleasure doing business, partner."
Liuli stared at him. "You stole the sect's treasure. And you made me an accomplice."
"You were always an accomplice, Liuli," Mo Tian vanished into the shadows. "You just didn't know which crime you were committing."
Liuli stood alone in the empty vault. She realized, with a sinking horror, that she hadn't detested it.