Kael stood still, eyes on Lang Zhu, the silver-robed stranger whose appearance defied the usual veil of secrecy surrounding the capital's inner workings. The man bore the mark of the Eye of Equinox—a secretive organization said to oppose sect corruption and manipulation. Rumors had painted them as either righteous insurgents or silent manipulators of chaos. Kael wasn't sure which he preferred.
"I don't take alliances lightly," Kael said, voice calm, gaze sharp.
Lang Zhu chuckled. "Nor do we. But you've already made waves, Kael. The Pavilion's inner circle has taken notice. And not kindly."
Kael's mind sifted through possibilities. If the Pavilion suspected him, he needed deeper cover—or an escape route. But if he played the game right, he could gain access to the Forbidden Archive below the central sanctum.
"What do you want?" Kael asked.
Lang Zhu's smile faded. "The Pavilion is developing a new spiritual core—a fusion between demonic bloodlines and spiritual roots. It's unstable, unethical, and… successful. A prototype lives. We need information before it spreads."
Kael's heart skipped a beat. A fusion? That shouldn't be possible. Unless…
Unless it used fragments of Void inheritance. Like the one in his soul.
"Where's the prototype?" Kael asked quietly.
"In the underground lab beneath the Vermillion Sanctuary," Lang replied. "Guarded, sealed, forgotten by most."
"Then I'll go," Kael said.
Lang's brow arched. "Alone?"
Kael's smile was faint. "I work better in shadows."
Two Nights Later – The Vermillion Sanctuary
Moonlight bathed the Pavilion's sanctum in silver fire. Towers loomed like sentinels, their red-glazed roofs catching the night glow. The sanctuary, normally sealed by eight runic barriers, pulsed faintly with protective enchantments. Few dared approach it after dark. Fewer returned.
Kael slipped past the first gate like mist, using a stolen rune sequence memorized from Elder Xun's study. With a flick of spiritual energy, he bypassed a glyph ward and entered the inner chamber.
Inside, the floor spiraled into a staircase descending underground.
He began his descent, his breathing steady, footsteps silent. The air grew colder, thicker. The walls whispered with ancient energy.
At the base lay a narrow passage lined with flickering soul-lamps. He followed it to a sealed door, covered in sigils—life-binding runes and soul-triggered arrays. One misstep, and his essence could be obliterated.
Kael pressed his palm against the stone.
"Release," he whispered, channeling the Void Seal from his core.
A pulse of black light spread through the runes.
One by one, they unraveled.
The door creaked open.
What lay beyond stopped Kael's breath.
A large chamber stretched before him, its walls etched with murals depicting the fusion of beasts and men, of demons chained in golden flames. Tubes filled with glowing red liquid lined the walls. In the center, a boy floated inside a glass cocoon, suspended by spiritual threads.
He couldn't be older than ten.
But his aura…
Kael felt a chill. It was unstable, yet terrifyingly pure. Demonic blood fused with high-tier cultivation roots. The boy's eyes fluttered open—black, with a crimson ring.
Kael stepped forward.
The boy's gaze locked onto him.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, his voice mechanical. "Are you here to stop me… or become like me?"
Kael didn't respond. The energy in the room began to tremble. The boy's cocoon cracked.
A high-pitched whine echoed through the lab.
Alarm triggered.
Kael turned and vanished into the shadows just as the doors burst open and Pavilion guards flooded the room.
Outside – On the Rooftop
Kael landed silently atop a curved roof tile, watching the chaos unfold below. Horns blared. Elders arrived. Spiritual pressure flooded the complex. The boy's cocoon was being reinforced by a barrier—a seal of containment.
Lang Zhu appeared beside Kael moments later, cloaked by a concealment talisman.
"You saw it?" Lang asked.
Kael nodded. "They fused the blood of a sealed Demon Sovereign with a chosen root."
Lang's eyes narrowed. "And the child?"
"Still human… for now."
Lang looked away. "We have to stop it before they replicate the process."
Kael didn't answer.
Something deeper bothered him.
He had seen the sigil on the cocoon. It was identical to the ancient glyph embedded in the Void Fragment he had inherited. This experiment—this child—was connected to the legacy he was chasing.
That meant someone else knew.
And they were far ahead of him.
The Next Morning – Rulan Estate
Kael arrived at the estate silently. Mei Rulan met him in the gardens.
"You disappeared," she said, folding her arms.
"I had business."
"I heard about the Pavilion's inner sanctum. Rumors say someone infiltrated it. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Kael gave her a sidelong glance.
She stepped closer, her tone dropping. "You may be strong, Kael, but you're not untouchable. Not here. Be careful."
He turned to leave.
"Wait," she called out. "One more thing."
He looked back.
"I've been summoned to participate in the Imperial Selection Trials. Three weeks from now. Open to nobles… and invited sect disciples."
Kael frowned. "Why tell me?"
She smiled. "Because you'll be invited too."
That Night – Kael's Room
Kael meditated in silence, letting the fragmented Void energy swirl around him. The memory of the child's gaze haunted him. It was not the gaze of a mere weapon.
It was the look of a prisoner begging to be freed.
If the Pavilion truly controlled a successful fusion, it would threaten not only the empire's balance but the very foundation of spiritual cultivation itself.
Kael had two options.
Watch from the shadows.
Or act—knowing he might expose himself.
A knock came at his door.
A letter slipped beneath the crack.
You are invited to represent the Azure Feather Sect at the Imperial Trials.
Signed by the Pavilion Grand Elder.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
The true game had begun.