Night cloaked the Azure Sky Sect in ethereal silence. Lanterns flickered along the mountain path, casting long shadows against the moss-covered stones. On the outside, peace reigned. But beneath that quiet serenity, currents of destiny had begun to shift—ever so slightly.
Deep within the concealed heart of his Dao Field, Li Xuan sat cross-legged beneath the Skyroot Tree, a mythical tree whose roots touched unseen realms. Its leaves shimmered faintly, echoing the aura of the cosmos. Around him, spirit energy surged gently, neither violent nor showy—like a sleeping dragon breathing.
> [Cultivation Progress: Breakthrough Complete – Core Formation Realm (Initial Stage)]
> [Lifespan Extended: 500 Years → 2,000 Years.]
> [System Reward: Grand Celestial Veins unlocked.]
> —Your meridians now absorb, refine, and circulate spiritual energy at a rate surpassing divine beasts. Qi-based techniques gain triple effectiveness.
Li Xuan's eyelids fluttered open. A faint glint of starlight shimmered in his pupils before vanishing.
> "So… Core Formation."
To the sect, the outer region cultivators were still struggling with Foundation Establishment. But he had already stepped into a realm their ancestors only dreamed of.
And yet—no one knew.
He preferred it that way.
---
Within the Inner Sect
In the golden meditation hall of the Azure Sky Sect, Elders gathered, brows furrowed.
> "Someone has annihilated a team of rogue cultivators who trespassed into our herb valley."
> "Not just killed. Their bodies disappeared—no residue, no blood, nothing. Like they never existed."
> "Could it be one of our Nascent Soul protectors acting in secret?"
> "No. I asked. None of them sensed anything."
The Grand Elder stroked his long beard, murmuring, "Then either we are watched by a ghost... or someone much more terrifying than we've imagined walks among our disciples."
---
Back in the Dao Field
Li Xuan sipped calmly from a jade tea cup as ripples moved through the Skyroot Pond nearby. His thoughts weren't on the sect. They never were.
His true cultivation… was aimed at something far above them all.
His mind drifted to the techniques he'd recently acquired.
> [Technique: Heaven-Binding Void Sutra – A movement art that phases your body into a shadow dimension.]
> [Treasure: Silent Mirror of Thousand Reflections – Allows temporary clone projections across great distances.]
Each reward felt like a piece of a celestial puzzle, fitting perfectly into his invisible path.
Suddenly—
A ripple of intent reached him.
A divine sense brushed the edge of his Dao Field. Soft, cautious, but probing.
Li Xuan closed his eyes, letting the intent pass harmlessly.
Then he smiled faintly.
> "So, one of them noticed. Or at least... suspects."
He didn't move.
He didn't retaliate.
Because the one watching from afar—was none other than Yue Qingxue, the Ice Moon Fairy of the Inner Sect.
A peerless genius.
A beauty worshipped by thousands.
She had sensed a presence that didn't belong… a warmth that drew her like a moth to flame.
---
Yue Qingxue's Pavilion – Inner Sect
The woman sat by her moonlit window, her long white hair cascading over her back like snow. Her eyes, usually cold as glaciers, were stirred with confusion.
> "That presence… who was it?"
She had felt it once before.
A year ago.
When she stood in front of an unremarkable outer disciple—whose face haunted her more than she dared admit.
> "Li… Xuan."
---
Back in the Dao Field, Li Xuan raised his head to the sky.
> "They'll keep coming. Slowly. Curiously. One by one."
> "But as long as I wish it… none will truly see me."
A breeze passed.
In the sky, a single shooting star cut through the heavens—signaling the rise of a hidden sovereign.