Part 1: The Birth of "Void-Flame Palm"
On the night of the anticipated confrontation, Arthur sat in the deepest, most treacherous point of Tunnel No. 9, where even the guards dared not venture. Before him floated Cane's charred remains, which he had secretly preserved. He placed his palm upon it, imagining his body as a bottomless well.
[Bloodline Devour - Level 2] activate.
This time, he didn't siphon Qi; he absorbed the very concept of fire from Cane's remnants, fusing it with his own Void Essence. He felt excruciating pain, as if his entrails were simultaneously burning and freezing. Yet, from the womb of this agony, a new, secret combat technique was born: the "Void-Flame Palm."
This was no ordinary fire; it was a pitch-black flame that radiated no heat, but rather absorbed light and life from whatever it touched. It didn't just burn the skin; it consumed the soul and the Qi, leaving the opponent a mere hollow vessel.
"Now," Arthur whispered, his eyes glowing with absolute darkness, "I have the weapon. Time for the play."
Part 2: The Quiet Chaos
The following morning, Elder Moa, the overseer of the Outer Sect, arrived to collect Bao's bribe. Bao, smiling confidently, presented a chest filled with premium spirit stones.
As Elder Moa opened the chest and began absorbing the Qi, the "Void Curse" Arthur had planted activated. Instantly, the Elder's face turned a deep indigo, and he retched black blood.
"Bao! You traitor! How dare you poison me with corrupted energy?!" Elder Moa roared, his peak Foundation Establishment power exploding, shattering the surrounding walls.
Bao erupted in terror: "No! Elder! I did nothing! This is a conspiracy!"
While the Elder and Bao engaged in a fierce, destructive battle, the mine devolved into a scene of utter panic. Guards fled, and slaves revolted. Amidst this cacophony, Arthur moved like a ghost. He didn't run; he didn't scream. He watched, waited for the perfect moment.
His goal wasn't merely escape; it was replacement.
Part 3: The Mask of the "Perfect Disciple"
Arthur spotted his perfect target: "Lian," the arrogant Internal Disciple who had come as Elder Moa's attendant. Lian was trying to flee the chaos, slightly injured.
Arthur slipped behind him and unleashed the "Void-Flame Palm." The blade of black fire left no external trace, but it drained Lian's Qi and life force in seconds. Before the body could hit the ground, Arthur activated his bloodline's most terrifying ability: [Void Mimicry].
Arthur's body began to disintegrate and reshape, using Lian's corpse as a template. His features, height, and even his Qi aura warped to match Lian perfectly. This wasn't just a disguise; it was a flawless duplication of body and energy.
Arthur donned Lian's luxurious robes, placed the real corpse in the void, and returned to the battlefield, feigning injury and panic.
"Elder Moa! Overseer Bao has betrayed us all! He tried to kill me too!" Arthur (in Lian's voice) cried out, rushing toward the wounded Elder.
Elder Moa believed his "loyal disciple." After brutally executing Bao, he looked at Lian (Arthur) with gratitude: "You survived, my boy. Your courage won't be forgotten. I will ensure you a prominent place within the Inner Sect."
Arthur smiled behind his mask. He had entered the Sect not as a slave, but as an influential Internal Disciple, ready to devour the real geniuses from within, while everyone believed him to be the obedient Lian.