The oppressive weight of the night hung heavy over the Azure Cloud Sect, as though the very air had thickened with the growing sense of dread. Lin Feng had hardly slept, his mind racing with questions and the disturbing revelations Zhao Kuo had shared. A secret faction operating within the sect? A traitor feeding information to the Voidborn? And now, Han Shi's gruesome murder had thrown the entire sect into turmoil.
Lin Feng stood on a secluded ledge overlooking the vast mountain range below. The gentle hum of Azure Destiny, now a constant presence in his mind, seemed quieter than usual, as though the sword, too, was contemplating the gravity of the situation.
Behind him, the soft sound of footsteps pulled him from his thoughts. Li Mei appeared, her expression calm but her eyes betraying the turmoil within.
"Can't sleep either?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lin Feng shook his head. "Too much is happening. And it's all happening too fast. If this faction Zhao mentioned is real, it means the enemy isn't just at our gates—they're already inside."
Li Mei stood beside him, gazing out at the stars flickering in the night sky. "I've been thinking about Han Shi's death," she said after a long pause. "The way he was killed—it wasn't just about sending a message. There was something ritualistic about it. The precision, the symbols carved into his skin… It felt almost… planned."
Lin Feng frowned. He hadn't noticed any symbols when he examined Han Shi's body, but Li Mei's sharp eyes rarely missed a detail. "Symbols? What kind of symbols?"
Li Mei glanced at him. "Not runes or anything obvious. But the cuts… they were too precise to be random. They followed a pattern, almost like a formation. Whoever did this wasn't just killing him. They were sending a message to someone—perhaps even to us."
A shiver ran down Lin Feng's spine. If what she said was true, Han Shi's death was more than a brutal murder. It was part of something larger—something dark and insidious. And if they didn't uncover the truth soon, more lives could be lost.
"We need to find out what those symbols mean," Lin Feng said, his voice steeling with determination. "If there's a pattern, it could lead us to whoever did this."
Li Mei nodded. "I've been studying them, but they're unlike anything I've seen in our cultivation manuals. We might need to search the older texts—the ancient tomes in the sect's archives."
Lin Feng's mind immediately went to the Heart of Azure, where the most sacred and secret texts were stored. Few disciples had access to those tomes, and even fewer dared to delve into the oldest writings, fearing the forbidden knowledge they might uncover.
"We'll have to go tonight, while the others are still distracted by the council's investigation," Lin Feng said, already turning toward the path leading deeper into the sect's inner sanctum. "If we're right about this faction, they won't wait long before they strike again."
Li Mei gave a quick nod of agreement, her fan snapping closed as she followed Lin Feng into the shadows of the sect.
---
The Azure Cloud Sect's archives were hidden deep within the mountainside, carved into the stone centuries ago by the sect's founders. As Lin Feng and Li Mei approached the entrance, a faint blue glow illuminated the cavernous passage ahead. The seals guarding the archives flickered with arcane energy, designed to keep intruders out—and to prevent any knowledge from leaving without permission.
"We need to be quick," Li Mei whispered as she began working on the seals. Her fingers moved with practiced precision, tracing the intricate lines of qi that powered the barrier.
Lin Feng kept watch, his senses on high alert. The sect's inner sanctum was heavily guarded, but even here, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every shadow seemed to stretch too long, every gust of wind felt like a whispering warning.
After a few tense moments, Li Mei stepped back as the barrier flickered and faded, allowing them passage.
"We're in," she said, her voice laced with urgency.
Lin Feng led the way inside, the vast chamber opening up before them like a labyrinth of ancient knowledge. Rows upon rows of scrolls and books lined the stone shelves, some so old that the parchment appeared on the verge of crumbling. The air was thick with the scent of dust and ink, a silent testament to centuries of accumulated wisdom—and secrets.
They didn't have much time.
"Look for anything about formations, ancient symbols, or ritualistic killings," Lin Feng instructed, scanning the nearest shelf.
Li Mei moved swiftly to another section, her eyes darting over the titles. The texts here were written in old script, some in languages that hadn't been spoken in hundreds of years. But she was used to such challenges, her mind sharp and methodical.
For what felt like an eternity, they searched in silence, the only sound the soft rustle of parchment as they skimmed through pages. Just as Lin Feng began to worry they wouldn't find anything in time, Li Mei called out.
"Here!" she said, holding up a scroll with faded ink. "This text mentions an ancient formation used during the era of the Voidborn Wars. It describes a ritual that involves marking the victim with a specific pattern to invoke the power of chaos."
Lin Feng quickly moved to her side, reading over her shoulder. The scroll described a dark art, one that had been outlawed by the sect's founders—a technique that allowed cultivators to harness the Voidborn's destructive energy by sacrificing others.
"Could this be what they're doing?" Lin Feng asked, his voice tense. "Are they trying to harness Voidborn power?"
"It's possible," Li Mei replied, her brow furrowed. "But the text is incomplete. It only describes the beginning of the ritual. The rest of the details must be in another scroll."
Lin Feng's gut twisted at the thought. If someone within the sect was using forbidden techniques to tap into Voidborn power, it meant they weren't just traitors—they were dabbling in forces that could unravel the fabric of their reality.
"We need to find the rest of this ritual," Lin Feng said, urgency creeping into his voice. "If they're planning to use it again, we have to stop them before it's too late."
Just as they were about to continue searching, the faintest sound echoed from the entrance of the archive—a soft footstep.
Lin Feng froze, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of Azure Destiny. Li Mei shot him a warning glance, and they both moved silently into the shadows, hiding behind one of the stone shelves.
The footfalls grew louder, accompanied by the faint murmur of voices. Lin Feng strained to hear, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Are you sure this is where they keep the texts?" a voice asked—one Lin Feng didn't recognize.
"Positive," another voice replied, this one low and smooth. "The sect elders hide everything in these archives. If the ritual exists, it's in here."
Lin Feng's mind raced. Whoever these intruders were, they were looking for the same thing. He and Li Mei exchanged a glance, and he could see the same realization dawn on her face.
The faction. They were here.
Lin Feng's grip tightened on Azure Destiny as he prepared to confront them. But just as he was about to step out of the shadows, Li Mei placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. She pointed to the scroll in her hands and mouthed, "We need this."
Lin Feng nodded reluctantly, understanding her meaning. If they engaged the faction now, they might lose the scroll—and any chance of discovering the traitor's plan. They needed to be smart.
Slowly, they crept farther into the archive, slipping away from the intruders. Lin Feng's pulse pounded in his ears as he and Li Mei moved deeper into the labyrinth of texts, staying out of sight. The voices behind them grew fainter, but the threat lingered.
Once they were certain they weren't being followed, Li Mei exhaled softly, relief flooding her features. "We can't risk staying here much longer. We've already found something valuable."
Lin Feng agreed. They had to get back and analyze the scroll before it was too late. But even as they hurried through the darkened halls of the archive, a sense of foreboding hung over them.
The faction was real. They were already inside the sect, searching for knowledge that could tip the balance of power in the Voidborn's favor. And worse, they weren't working alone.
---
Back in the privacy of Lin Feng's quarters, he and Li Mei pored over the scroll, deciphering its ancient language. The ritual it described was darker than they had imagined, tied to the Voidborn in ways that sent chills down Lin Feng's spine.
"It's a summoning ritual," Li Mei said, her voice hushed. "But not to summon a Voidborn directly. It's to channel their essence—to create a conduit."
"A conduit?" Lin Feng echoed. "For what?"
Li Mei's eyes darkened. "For chaos. To bring the Voidborn's destructive power into our realm through a living host."
Lin Feng felt the blood drain from his face. This was far worse than they had anticipated. If the faction succeeded in completing this ritual, they wouldn't just be aiding the Voidborn—they would be unleashing their power from within the sect itself.
"We need to warn Sect Leader Feng," Lin Feng said, rising to his feet. "If this ritual is being performed, we're all in danger."
But even as he said the words, doubt gnawed at him. With trust in the sect already fraying, would they even believe
him? And if the traitor was as high-ranking as Zhao Kuo had suggested, how far did the corruption go?
"We have to be careful," Li Mei cautioned, sensing his hesitation. "If we reveal what we know to the wrong person, we could end up like Han Shi."
Lin Feng's jaw tightened. She was right. They were walking a razor's edge, and one wrong move could tip them into the abyss.
For now, they had only one choice: continue their investigation in secret, gather more evidence, and uncover the identity of the faction's leader.
The battle against the Voidborn had already begun. But the true enemy was closer than they had ever imagined—and the shadows within the Azure Cloud Sect were growing darker by the day.