The battlefield quieted with each passing second. The last of the Bloodmoon Dynasty's ranks collapsed, accompanied by dying screams and ringing steel, until not a single enemy remained standing. In the end, the Bloodmoon sect ceased to exist—every cultivator slain, their resources seized by Nightshade's forces.
Elder Sun Min, standing at my side, swept a final look across the war-torn ground. "I've scanned the area with my divine sense," he announced to Elder Zhou Zhiqiu, "and found no surviving Bloodmoon Dynasty cultivator."
Zhou Zhiqiu nodded in agreement, then turned her sharp gaze upon me. "So," she asked, hooking a thumb toward the corpse of the Foundation Establishment elder I'd slain, "would you like to explain how that happened?"
I glanced at the remains, my expression calm. "He was already injured," I replied evenly.
She narrowed her brows, letting out a measured sigh. "We both know that's not the entire story. Bridging the gap across a major realm is nearly unheard of."
Before I could respond further, Sun Min broke in with a hearty laugh. "Hahaha, haven't I said all along he's the greatest talent in our sect? Even the sect leader's own disciples can't measure up to him now."
Zhou Zhiqiu cast him a look. "No one can argue otherwise," she conceded. "Zhang Feng and Liang Ruxue will both feel their pride stung once they learn of this."
Zhang Feng and Liang Ruxue? I noted those names in my head.
Sun Min let the comment pass without further debate. With a brisk nod, he directed his voice to the survivors of Nightshade Monastery. "Enough. It's time we return to the sect." Raising his voice through a burst of Qi, he commanded, "Disciples! Gather what you can—then return to the Monastery!"
All around, the Nightshade cultivators obeyed swiftly, rifling through the remains for valuables and gathering the spoils from the Bloodmoon Dynasty's fallen stronghold. Their efficient movements spoke of a group well accustomed to the harsh realities of cultivation warfare.
Elder Sun Min extended his finger, and a gentle stream of Qi shot from it, instantly closing up my lacerations. "That should handle your wounds," he remarked, throwing a small pill in my direction. "This is a healing pill crafted by Elder Lu. By the time we get back to the Monastery, you'll be fully recovered."
I snatched the pill in midair, my gaze lingering on its sheen. Even at a glance, the pill's aura and fragrance eclipsed everything I'd seen before. It was undoubtedly an Eclipse-grade pill, in the 20 to 39% purity range. My best one in comparison was a mid-grade pill with 69% purity.
"Thank you, Elder Sun Min," I said, bowing slowly in gratitude. Sun Min gave me a slight smile and a nod of acknowledgment, then ascended into the sky once more.
As Elder Sun Min rose into the air, he wrapped me once more in an invisible current of Qi, pulling me up alongside him. Zhou Zhiqiu ascended at our flank, her icy composure undiminished by the bloodshed. Together, we drifted above the wasted battlefield, the wind carrying the scent of iron, heading back toward the distant silhouette of the Nocturnis Vale's imposing peaks.
A hush lingered in the air as we glided through the air, but I broke it with a question that I had wanted to confirm since witnessing those final moments of the Bloodmoon sect's leader.
"Elder Sun Min, Elder Zhou Zhiqiu," I began, "that core that shattered when the sect leader died—was it the core of a Core Formation cultivator? And what was that little figure of that ancestor who tried to save him?"
The two elders looked at me, a slight trace of amusement in their gazes, probably at my curiosity so soon after a life-and-death struggle. Zhou Zhiqiu spoke first, her voice still tinged with that cool composure.
"Yes. That core you saw upon his death signified he'd already stepped into the Core Formation Realm," she explained. "Forming the core is the vital step to ascend from Foundation Establishment into Core Formation. Once it shatters, it typically means death. You'll learn more of these specifics when the time is right."
As if on cue, Sun Min picked up, nodding at Zhou Zhiqiu's words. "As for that small figure you noticed, that was the manifestation of a Nascent Soul. When one reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, the body becomes less essential. In principle, the soul can survive without it, though it's weaker and far more vulnerable to attacks. You saw what happened when I destroyed that Bloodmoon Nascent Soul earlier."
Nascent Soul Ream. So far away, yet the power it holds is fascinating.
As I mused, Sun Min continued, "Now that you've stepped into the seventh stage of Qi Condensation, with only the eighth remaining before Foundation Establishment, I'll give you the manual for the next realm once we return. At the rate you're progressing, it won't be long until you reach it... though even now, part of me struggles to believe it."
Zhou Zhiqiu's icy gaze flicked from the horizon to me. "You're thirteen, aren't you? When exactly will you turn fourteen?"
I paused, thinking back. By the measure of this world, I'd arrived here in late spring—May, to be exact—and almost five months had passed since then. If I were to use my past birthday, it would come in October, next month.
"I'll be fourteen next month," I said at last. "October."
Zhou Zhiqiu's voice dropped to a murmur, more to herself than anyone else. "A thirteen-year-old at the late stage of Qi Condensation... who would've believed it..."
Sun Min chuckled in response, his tone light as he gradually picked up speed. I, meanwhile, took the healing pill he had given me and swallowed it without hesitation. Warmth flooded my body almost instantly—a surge of rich, potent energy that began weaving through my meridians, targeting my wounds. I took control, guiding the energy with precision as it rapidly mended torn flesh and shattered bones.
By the time I opened my eyes again, my body felt fully restored. Just ahead, Sun Min had already begun descending, his form gliding down like a falling star, and within moments, we were once again standing before the vast gates of the Nightshade Monastery.
Only a little more than a week had passed since my group of thirteen had set out from this very place. And now, I was the sole one to return. The rest had fallen.
As I stood there reflecting, two items appeared in Elder Sun Min's hands, summoned from within a ring on his finger. I watched with quiet interest. What had initially looked like nothing more than an ornate accessory was, in truth, a powerful and invaluable tool.
Seeing my gaze linger, Elder Sun Min let out a knowing chuckle. "This is a storage ring. It's crafted from a rare spatial resource called Voidglass Ore. Even less than a gram is enough to create one of these, but it'll cost a fortune—assuming you can find someone who has it."
He tapped the ring lightly. "By infusing a bit of Qi, I can store or retrieve anything within it."
He then handed me the items he'd retrieved. One was a smooth jade slip; the other, a small cloth pouch that seemed unremarkable on the outside.
He gestured to the jade slip first. "This contains the Foundation Establishment manual. Everything you'll need to understand about the next realm is inscribed in there. Study it thoroughly."
Then he pointed at the pouch. "This is a bag of holding. Just insert a strand of Qi into it—you'll figure out the rest."
I did as he said, feeding a thin thread of Qi into the bag. Instantly, my consciousness linked with it, revealing a space roughly two square meters wide. It was an odd sensation—formless, silent, and dimensionless, without walls or ceilings.
Inside was an assortment of goods, many different sorts of ingredients, stacks of Spirit Stones, a collection of miscellaneous weapons, and finally, a folded inner sect robe.
Sun Min tilted his head with a smirk. "Well? What do you think?" he asked, amusement flickering in his eyes. "This is the loot of the disciples you killed in that cave." His tone was casual, but the weight behind the words wasn't lost on me.
I nodded, genuinely impressed by what I'd seen. The spatial pouch was like something out of the games Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo used to obsess over—its functionality was eerily similar to the "inventory" systems they always raved about.
His explanation made sense of the bag's contents—an assortment of ingredients, various weapons, and other seemingly random items, all traced back to the disciples I'd slain.
"Thank you," I said, my gaze still resting on the pouch in my hand. "It's great... What's the difference between this and the ring you're using?"
Elder Sun Min smiled knowingly, as if anticipating the question. "Apart from the vastly larger space," he began, "the storage ring also has a stronger spatial veil. It protects its contents from being detected by outside senses. In short, it's more secure."
He tapped the ring lightly. "And like you saw earlier, it can hold other storage items—bags of holding like yours, for instance."
I raised a brow slightly. "So I can't do the same with this?"
"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "Your bag's internal space is weaker. It won't support nested storage—trying to place one bag of holding inside another would cause a spatial collapse. At best, you'd lose both. At worst..." he let the thought hang, a knowing gleam in his eyes.
I understood immediately. Even in this world, some rules still mirrored logic from fiction. But unlike fiction, the consequences here were real.
"Before we part, hand me your token," he said, holding out his hand.
I passed it to him without hesitation. He pressed his fingers against it, channeling a strand of Qi into the surface. A faint glow shimmered across the token as new inscriptions carved themselves into its surface. The color shifted, becoming a dark blue, signifying my new status.
"These are your updated quarters," he explained. "The room number's on the back."
He handed the token back to me and, without another word, soared into the sky, vanishing toward the inner sanctums of the sect.
Zhou Zhiqiu, still standing nearby, gave my shoulder a light tap. "Good luck," she said softly, then followed suit, her green robes fluttering as she disappeared into the clouds.
Good luck? I echoed the words in my mind. What exactly did she mean by that?
I let the question drift away as I made my way toward the sect's gates—those same gates that had once marked the beginning of my entrance examination. They now opened effortlessly before me, as if acknowledging my return, welcoming me into the sect.
The moment I stepped past them, the sounds of clashing and cheering filled my ears. Curious, I followed the noise deeper into the outer sect, weaving through gathering crowds until I reached the source: a large arena erected in the very center. It hadn't been here when I left. Now it pulsed with energy and excitement.
So this is the annual Eclipse Ascension Tournament?
My original plan had been to join this event and fight my way into the inner sect through sheer effort. But that path had already been bypassed by recent events. Still, I stayed, drawn to the atmosphere and the spectacle.
I edged my way to the front of the crowd and caught sight of the current match—a boy around fifteen clashing against a younger girl. Lian Hua. I remembered her from the entrance examination.
Though still young, she moved with surprising precision. I didn't even need to sense her cultivation—it was obvious both she and her opponent had reached the second stage of Qi Condensation. In two months, that level of progress was notable.
Behind them, a projection floated in the air, displaying the brackets of the group matches. I skimmed the names. Most were unfamiliar, but a few stood out—Jiang Wei, Zhao Fan, Lin Mei... and Shen Rong, my good business associate.
On the arena stage, Lian Hua had taken control of the fight. Her opponent was on the defensive, retreating steadily under her swift strikes. Neither of them had mastered Qi bursts yet, but they channeled their cultivation into physical reinforcement, enhancing their fists, legs, and reflexes with bursts of inner energy.
They wouldn't make it far in the tournament, certainly not to the knockout stage, but this was where combat experience was forged. Watching it unfold, I could already tell who had potential... and who would be left behind.
Lian Hua finally saw her chance. Her opponent staggered after taking a hit that knocked him off balance. Without hesitation, she dashed forward and delivered a precise strike to his chest, sending him flying a few meters backward, where he hit the ground hard. He struggled to rise, but his limbs failed him.
Seizing the moment, Lian Hua followed up, closing the distance and raising her hand behind his neck in a clean, slicing motion—signaling the end of the match.
The announcer's voice boomed across the arena. "Victory goes to Lian Hua!"
A wave of applause rolled through the crowd. It wasn't thunderous—most spectators were saving their excitement for the knockout rounds, when the true contenders would face off—but it was enough to acknowledge her win.
Lian Hua exhaled slowly, a small, satisfied smile forming on her lips. She scanned the audience... and then her gaze found me. Her expression shifted—first surprise, then confusion.
Still standing atop the arena platform, she began making her way toward me. Naturally, eyes turned in her direction, following her steps.
Among the seated participants, two others took notice. Lin Mei, now my business associate, and Shen Rong. Both wore expressions of wide-eyed disbelief, their gazes fixed firmly on me.
From the sidelines, amid the seated audience, I caught the sight of other gazes. Among them were Li Xue and, surprisingly, even inner sect disciples like Bai Yun and her usual circle of companions. It felt as though nearly everyone I had crossed paths with in the sect had gathered to witness the Eclipse Ascension Tournament—one of the few events that united the entire Monastery in shared anticipation. A rare spectacle meant to showcase those with promise.
Li Xue's eyes met mine briefly, her gaze thoughtful, curious. Bai Yun's friends noticed me next—two of them offering small waves, while another gave a cheeky, teasing smile. Their gestures were casual, lighthearted. But Bai Yun herself did not join them. Instead, her expression was pensive. Her brow furrowed faintly as she studied me from across the crowd, her sharp eyes narrowing. It was as though, even at this distance, she could sense something was different—something beneath the surface.
Lian Hua finally stopped before me, standing slightly above due to the raised platform, her eyes narrowing as she looked down.
"You didn't enter?" she asked, voice tinged with disappointment. "With the strength you showed during the entrance exam, I was hoping for a match with you."
She tilted her head, brow furrowing slightly. "And your uniform—it's—"
Before she could finish her question, a sudden sound echoed through the air—sharp, cutting through the background noise—followed by a voice I knew far too well.
It was the voice of Elder Sun Min.
His voice thundered across the sect, vibrating through the air with authority. Though he didn't appear in person, the sheer weight of his tone was enough to silence the crowd in an instant. Every cultivator turned their attention skyward, waiting on his words with rapt focus.
"Disciples," he began, voice calm yet heavy, "Last week, a group of disciples led by the personal disciple of Elder Huo—Shen Lei—was ambushed by the Bloodmoon Dynasty."
The reaction was immediate.
"What?!"
"Shen Lei?!"
"That's impossible—he's one of the strongest inner sect disciples!"
"No way..."
Whispers turned to gasps. Eyes widened. Even the battle-hardened students in the crowd exchanged looks of disbelief. Tension crackled through the air like a taut string.
Bai Yun's expression contorted with sudden horror, her composure shattering in an instant. The change was so stark that her friends beside her turned to her in alarm, clearly caught off guard. She sat motionless, lips parted slightly, eyes wide with something between disbelief and dread.
One of her companions gently shook her shoulder, whispering something to bring her back to the present. It worked—slowly, she blinked and came to, visibly shaken. When they pressed her for an explanation, she hesitated. Her lips quivered, and for a moment, it seemed she might stay silent. But eventually, she spoke in a low, strained voice, sharing the reason behind her reaction.
Now, the entire group wore expressions of horror, their faces clouded with dread. From a distance, I watched the shift in their demeanor. Did they personally know someone from that group? Perhaps one of the women who had shown interest in Shen Lei?
No... unlikely.
More probable was Ren Liqin. She stood out as the most plausible connection, not only due to her cultivation level and age, but also because of her personality. Her temperament matched well with Bai Yun's circle. In fact, she seemed like someone who would blend effortlessly into that group.
But Elder Sun Min's voice cut through the murmurs, steady and grim.
"This ambush led to the near-total extermination of the team. However, one disciple survived—and through his efforts, the sect was alerted."
Silence fell like a blade. Even the air seemed to hold its breath. The weight of the revelation pressed down on everyone present.
"To honor those who fell, a funeral ceremony will be held in the coming days. I expect every disciple to attend. We do not forget those who give their lives for the Monastery."
There was no dramatic pause, no elaboration. Just the firm, unyielding conclusion of a man delivering news of war and death—as was far too common in this world.
"Not only did they kill our disciples," Elder Sun Min's voice thundered, "but they attempted to incite rebellion and overthrow the very balance of our sect."
A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd—disciples exchanged alarmed glances, the weight of the announcement sinking in.
"In retaliation," he continued, his tone as hard as steel, "we have annihilated the Bloodmoon Dynasty. As of today, it no longer exists."
From the depths of horror and tension, the atmosphere shifted. What had begun as a memorial turned into a celebration of vengeance fulfilled. The disciples, tense moments ago, now roared in collective approval.
But the announcement didn't end there.
"Now," Elder Sun Min said, his voice steadying again, "as a reward to those who distinguished themselves in the battle, I will announce the top three disciples who killed the most enemies."
I gave a small prayer. In that moment, Elder Zhou Zhiqiu's words echoed in my mind like a quiet bell: "Good luck."
Now, the meaning behind her cryptic send-off finally became clear. I could practically picture Elder Sun Min standing somewhere with a smirk, savoring this moment like a punchline he'd been waiting to deliver.
"The third place, Xue Yong, with 8 kills," Elder Sun Min's voice rang clearly across the entire sect grounds.
Immediately, a large shimmering projection manifested high above the arena, showing the calm, stoic image of Xue Yong—expression unreadable, but posture proud. His face was instantly recognized by the crowd.
"WOAH! Senior Brother Xue!"
"HE TOOK DOWN EIGHT?!"
"REVENGE FOR THE FALLEN!"
"He will receive Spirit Stones, and one free choice in the Umbral Relic Pavilion." Elder Sun Min announced.
"HE'S GOING TO THE UMBRAL RELIC PAVILION—SO LUCKY!"
"SPIRIT STONES TOO?! I WANNA BE HIM!"
The noise swelled into a wave of excitement and chatter, the crowd's enthusiasm rippling like wildfire. But before it could reach a full fever pitch again, Elder Sun Min's voice smoothly cut through the uproar.
"Second place, Dong Zhong, with 12 kills."
A new projection flickered into view, this time showing a broad-shouldered, intense-eyed youth. Cheers exploded again, perhaps louder this time.
"TWELVE?!"
"DONG ZHONG IS A MONSTER!"
"As a reward, he will receive entry to the upper floors of the Abyssal Archive, as well as the same rewards as third place." Elder Sun Min, yet again, calmly announced.
"He gets to enter the upper floors of the Abyssal Archive?! That's insane!"
"And the Umbral Relic Pavilion too?!"
"The sect really went all out with rewards this time..."
As the voices rose once again, Elder Sun Min let the moment hang. A slight pause. Then a longer one. The silence built, as if he were feeding the tension on purpose.
"And now, the first place..." he said, slowly, with deliberate weight.
"...is," The pause deepened. Disciples leaned in, holding their breath.
I closed my eyes.
"...Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, with 21 kills!"
Unlike the earlier announcements that were met with thunderous cheers, this time the entire sect fell into utter silence—so complete, it felt as though even the air held its breath.
The hush was broken not by the crowd, but by the tournament announcer himself, who, unable to contain his disbelief, blurted out a loud and stunned, "WHAT?!"
I slowly opened my eyes, lifting my gaze to the sky, where my projected image now hovered, suspended above all.
"Twenty-one kills..." someone whispered.
"And he's a kid?!"
Lian Hua, who moments ago had been confidently speaking to me, stumbled back a step, her pupils dilating in shock. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, loud enough to carry. That single sound set off a chain reaction, and all cultivators turned to look in my direction.
"WHAT?!"
"HE'S RIGHT THERE?!"
"THAT'S AYANOKOJI KIYOTAKA?!"
"NO WAY—HE'S THE ONE?!"
Heads whipped toward me. Dozens. Hundreds. The full weight of their stares fell on me like a crashing tide. Reverence mixed with disbelief. Whispers surged into a low, thunderous roar of reactions, rising into the air like a storm.
But Elder Sun Min wasn't finished. His voice, filled now with thinly veiled amusement, resonated once more:
"And most importantly... among the twenty-one killed, one of them was a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Silence dropped again—only heavier, colder. Then came the chaos.
"No way!"
"That can't be true!"
"LIES! It's not possible!"
"He's only a kid!"
"How can he possibly kill someone in a whole different realm?!"
"Did he—did he sacrifice something?! A treasure?! A forbidden technique?!"
"It must be a mistake, right?!"
The denials were loud, almost desperate, but they couldn't drown out the truth. Not when it was declared by a Nascent Soul elder himself. Not when the projection still hovered above, my face etched into every eye and memory.
And then, cutting through it all, came a bold, unwavering shout from the tournament platform.
"SENIOR BROTHER AYANOKOJI IS MIGHTY!!!"
The voice belonged to Shen Rong. His shout rang out like a war cry, filled with pride and unshaken conviction.
Heads snapped toward him, stunned again—this time by the certainty in his voice. But before more could be said, others began to stir.
Ripples spread. Not just fear now, but awe. The kind of awe only monsters born of war could inspire.
I said nothing.
There was nothing I needed to say.
I let my gaze drift across the sea of stunned expressions, locking momentarily onto a few familiar faces—Jiang Wei, Zhao Fan, Lin Mei. I had first crossed paths with them when I'd barely stepped into the second stage of Qi Condensation. Now, just over a month later, my name echoed through the sect as the one who had slain a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Their faces told the entire story. Disbelief, awe, and confusion. Even Lin Mei, who had a slightly deeper impression of me due to our business dealings, only knew of my aptitude in alchemy.
Then there was Bai Yun's circle—shocked, grief-stricken, and now tinged with something else: concern. As Bai Yun's eyes fell on me again, I could see the threads of connection forming behind them. The subtle change in my aura, my tattered robe when I arrived... she was piecing it together.
Amid the echoing cries of reverence and admiration—some sincere, others laced with envy—another kind of commotion began to stir among the female disciples. It started quietly, whispers threading through the outer sect like smoke, but soon escalated into something far more heated.
"He's mine! Did you see that face? Cold and composed—ugh, I love that."
"Not only powerful but still young... that means moldable," one muttered with a sly grin, eyes glinting like a predator spotting easy prey.
"Fresh meat, hehehe..." another one laughed darkly, her voice low and dripping with hunger.
"Untouched," another woman muttered, her eyes gleaming with desire, as if she'd just spotted an irresistible opportunity.
"Tch, back off. With looks like that and that cultivation speed, he's inner sect, no core sect husband material."
"He doesn't talk much... mysterious types are always the most loyal," another reasoned, already fantasizing.
"I bet I can tie him to me before he realizes what's going on," came a smug voice, causing several girls nearby to narrow their eyes dangerously.
"..."
They heard Elder Sun Min announce that I killed twenty-one cultivators, and their thought is that I'm naive and moldable?
Yet the unspoken battle over me raged on. A few girls exchanged sharp glances, spiritual pressure subtly flaring in silent challenges. Others had already begun comparing their family influence, sect contribution points, rare pills or resources they could offer—each searching for an edge to stake their claim.
And I, the center of their blooming ambitions and greed-tinged gazes, stood utterly still. Unaffected. Indifferent.
Then, Elder Sun Min's voice boomed once more through the sect. "As a reward, he shall be granted access to the Obsidium Sanctum."
The announcement silenced everything. The crowd fell still once more. And I seized that moment to vanish.
Without a word, I slipped away from the square, weaving through side paths before anyone could stop me.
By the time I reached the threshold of my old quarters, chaos had resumed somewhere behind me.
"Wait—where did he go?!"
"Noooo! My future husband vanished!"
"Your what?! You mean mine!"
"SENIOR BROTHER AYANOKOJI IS MIGHTY!! A DRAGON AMONG MEN!!"
I quietly shut the door behind me, blocking out the noise, and exhaled a long breath. Then, wordlessly, I sank down to the ground.
Peace.