The descent was quiet.
The platform beneath their feet moved slowly, carried by old formation glyphs that hummed like a low, sleeping chant. The walls around them had long stopped glowing, and for a time, neither Shang Di nor Wei Lin spoke.
After everything they'd fought through — the shadows, the corrupted beasts, the ruin-twisted terrain — this silence felt foreign.
Suspicious, even.
"So," Wei Lin muttered, breaking the stillness, "do we call this the part where we're safe, or the part right before something explodes again?"
Shang Di didn't even open his eyes. "It's a rest chamber. Formation-based. No aggression in the spiritual flow. That's rare."
"Right. So we rest."
"For now."
Wei Lin exhaled and crossed his arms. "I'll take it."
The platform eased into place, settling into a vast, circular hall cut from smooth obsidian. The ceiling was domed, flickering with the remains of what used to be a spiritual sky-light. The air was cool. Dry. The kind of stillness that came not from safety, but from absence.
...
[System Notification – Recovery Zone Entered]
Location: Resting Meridian Hall
Spiritual Pressure: Suppressed
Combat Permissions: Locked
Ambient Qi Flow: Stable
Gate Delay: 6 Hours
Recommendation: Meditate, restore Qi reserves, prepare for final stage.
...
Shang Di stepped down first and made his way to the side of the hall. He sat cross-legged, cloak still draped over his shoulders, and let out a steady breath. Lucky curled up by his knee like a coiled band of night.
Wei Lin took a spot a few meters away and leaned back against the wall, groaning softly.
"I swear my spine has a formation crack in it," he said. "You sure we're not secretly fighting body cultivators in these trials?"
"They didn't hit you that hard," Shang Di said without opening his eyes.
"They hit me hard enough to see my ancestors waving."
A dry smile touched Shang Di's lips. He said nothing else — not yet.
...
[System Status]
SP: 690
Trait: Shadowborne Resilience (Active)
– Passive resistance to illusion-type Qi, mental dissonance
Passive: Veilflow Breathing
– Absorbs fragmented ambient Qi during stable meditation
Active Core Method: Abyss Pulse Swallowing
– Absorbs hostile Qi input; converts into temporary burst output
Shadow's Favor: 7/7 – Complete
Path Access: Whisper Veil Cultivation (Tier 1)
Perks:
– +30% Shadow-technique proficiency
– Progression unlock: Veilstep Sutra, Shadow Array Synergy (Pending)
...
The spiritual lines of the room still flickered faintly beneath the surface. Faint pulses of fractured Qi shifted through the floor like trapped breath.
Shang Di inhaled slowly. His mind quieted. The Veilflow technique did the rest — drawing in the scattered remnants and threading them through his meridians, softening tension, restoring internal balance.
It wasn't fast.
But it was clean. Precise.
Wei Lin rolled his shoulder with a soft grunt.
"You're seriously meditating again? Even down here?"
Shang Di finally opened one eye. "There's no better time."
"Resting usually involves eating. Sleeping. Not pretending to be a rock."
"You can do both."
Wei Lin narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure if that was sarcasm."
Shang Di just smiled faintly and closed his eyes again.
...
They sat in the stillness for another few minutes before Wei Lin spoke again, his tone quieter now.
"So what happens after this? After the Hollow?"
Shang Di's breath didn't change. But he did respond.
"I head to the next region. Build toward the sect."
"You're really serious about that, huh?"
"I didn't come to this world to play around."
There was no bite to his words. No ego. Just… purpose.
Wei Lin leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling.
"Sometimes I forget how different your path is."
Shang Di didn't open his eyes. "Different how?"
"You act like someone with a history. A plan. But your presence? It's like you dropped in from nowhere."
A pause.
Then, quietly, Shang Di said, "That's because I did."
Wei Lin blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not from a sect. Not from a clan. I wasn't raised with techniques or teachers. I come from a place where strength didn't matter. Where effort didn't mean anything unless someone let it."
Wei Lin looked at him for a long moment, then said, "And here, it finally does."
Shang Di nodded. "So I'm making the most of it."
...
[System Notification – Dungeon Reward Stones Detected]
Choose One:
– Crimson Stone: Formation Scroll (Tier 2 – Shadow Alignment)
– Green Stone: Core Refinement Pill (+1 Minor Breakthrough – Qi Condensing)
– Blue Stone: Shadow Spirit Contract Slot (Unlocks second bond)
Shang Di stood and approached the altar at the center of the room.
Three stones floated silently. Energy hummed in a subtle ring around each one.
He stared for a moment. Then selected the Crimson Stone.
[Reward Acquired: Silent Bastion Array (Tier 2)]
Type: Shadow-Defensive Formation
Effect: Creates a concealment dome; muffles spiritual signatures, blocks mid-range tracking
Usage: Deployable (Cooldown: 12 hours)
Upgradeable via: Sect Formation Core (Locked)
He tucked the scroll into his inner cloak and sat again.
Wei Lin raised an eyebrow. "Didn't take the spirit beast this time?"
"Formation infrastructure will matter more soon."
"You really do think long-term."
"I have to."
...
[System Shop – Rotation Updated]
SP: 690
Veiled Conflux Cache – 600 SP
Contents:
– 1x Shadow Technique (Rare to Epic)
– 1x Spirit Tool (Defensive)
– 1x Modifier Sigil (Shadow-bound)
Rarity Distribution:
R: 55%
E: 35%
SR: 10%
Pull Method: Fixed Bundle
Recommended: High synergy with Shadow's Favor traits.
Shang Di selected it.
[600 SP Deducted]
[Opening Veiled Conflux Cache…]
Three cards hovered before him, glowing softly.
First flipped—
[Shadow Technique (E): Veilform Ripple Step]
Movement technique; creates two afterimages while dashing. Disrupts spiritual perception for 2 seconds.
Second—
[Spirit Tool (R): Shadeband Wristguard]
Lightweight defensive item. Reduces damage from ranged Qi attacks. Increases stealth ability duration by 10%.
Third—
[Modifier Sigil: Dusklayer Mark]
When applied to a technique, adds AoE suppression radius. Reduces enemy spiritual sense in effect zone.
He reviewed them, nodded once, and stored them.
SP Remaining: 90
...
The final door began to glow.
Soft runes lit along the wall. The formation clicked once.
Wei Lin stood. "Time's up?"
Shang Di nodded. "The Hollow's core awaits."
"You ready?"
Shang Di exhaled.
"I've never been readier."
They stood at the threshold.
Together.
...
To be continued…