Far to the south, within the dignified halls of the Azure Pine Immortal Sect, Luo Shen had been summoned to the Internal Affairs Department by Master Tang, a Foundation Establishment expert whose name alone could silence a courtyard.

  The summons had come without explanation.

  Now Luo Shen paced within the outer hall, sleeves clasped behind his back, heart thudding like a war drum. He himself was an inner disciple, yet he served as a steward overseeing the outer sect, one among many who had long since accepted the bottleneck of Qi Refinement. Normally, Internal Affairs communicated through written directives.

  A personal summons?

  That was never casual.

  A disciple stepped out from a side office and spoke plainly, “Steward Luo, Master Tang invites you in.”

  Luo Shen inhaled once and entered.

  He bowed deeply. “This Luo Shen greets Senior Tang.”

  “Sit,” Master Tang replied.

  Silence lingered for several breaths, heavy as a mountain pressing down on the room.

  Then Tang spoke.

  “You have a son. Luo Yan.”

  Luo Shen’s face changed slightly, but he forced calm into his expression. Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, none of them pleasant.

  “Yes, Master. He is an inner disciple. He broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refinement last month.”

  “Good potential,” Tang murmured. “Only forty years old…”

  He shook his head.

  A cold thread crept down Luo Shen’s spine.

  “Is… there a problem, Master Tang?” he asked carefully. “Did my son offend someone?”

  Tang sighed.

  “The soul lamp belonging to your son extinguished three days ago.”

  The words fell like a blade.

  Luo Shen’s vision blurred.

  Within the sect, every inner disciple left behind a wisp of their soul using a specialized technique. These fragments were preserved in the Soul Lamp Hall, a safeguard for long journeys and dangerous missions.

  If the flame dimmed, the disciple was gravely injured.

  If the flame flickered, they were unstable.

  If the flame went out—

  It meant only one thing.

  The owner was dead.

  Luo Shen’s face drained of color. For a moment, the dignified hall felt distant, unreal, as though he were falling into an endless void.

  Three days ago.

  Dead.

  His son.

  Gone.

  Luo Shen’s fingers dug into his sleeves until the fabric wrinkled.

  He forced his breathing to steady.

  “How… is this possible?” he asked, his voice rough but controlled.

  Master Tang studied him for a moment before replying, “I understand that as a father, this news is difficult to bear. However, you must cooperate fully with the Internal Affairs investigation. The Law Enforcement Department will soon become involved.”

  A pause.

  “According to the Soul Lamp Hall, your son’s soul extinguished near Blackstone City.”

  “Blackstone City…” Luo Shen repeated.

  The name struck him like a hammer.

  In that instant, everything connected.

  The inheritance.

  The rumors.

  The jade slip he had discovered years ago in the mortal world.

  The secret he had chosen not to report to the sect.

  He had warned Luo Yan repeatedly. Wait until Foundation Establishment. Do not act recklessly. Do not gamble your future on uncertain fortunes.

  But ambition was a flame that rarely listened to reason.

  A heavy wave of regret washed over him.

  Too late.

  Far too late.

  Luo Shen lowered his gaze, masking the storm within his eyes.

  “What was my son doing in Blackstone City?” he said slowly. “I do not understand…”

  It was a denial.

  Carefully measured.

  He still had a family. Other children. A position within the sect.

  If Luo Yan had entangled himself with unsavory figures chasing a forbidden inheritance, it would be disastrous for the entire household. If the investigation uncovered that Luo Shen had once possessed a related jade slip and failed to report it—

  His career would end.

  Perhaps worse.

  Grief clawed at his chest, but fear and caution strangled it into silence.

  He had loved his son.

  But the cultivation world devoured the careless.

  And the living had to survive.

  Master Tang watched him closely, eyes unreadable.

  “Blackstone City is not a place inner disciples visit casually,” Tang said at last. “If you recall anything relevant, Steward Luo… it would be wise to speak now.”

  The hall felt colder than any winter wind.

  Luo Shen bowed his head deeper.

  “This subordinate truly knows nothing.”

  Master Tang’s expression remained solemn.

  “There is more. Your son was not alone. Steward Mu, the Law Enforcement team leader stationed at the Fenglin City docks, and Disciple Sheng Xia… their soul lamps were extinguished at the same time and in the same location.”

  The words struck like successive thunderclaps.

  Luo Shen’s face drained of even more color.

  “All… together?” he murmured.

  He struggled to steady himself, but this revelation shook him far more than before.

  “Master… I know Sheng Xia well,” Luo Shen said, his voice tightening despite his effort to remain composed. “My son and she were betrothed. I personally recruited her from the Hua Mortal Kingdom twenty years ago. She is loyal, upright, and devoted to the sect’s teachings. She would never act recklessly.”

  He paused, then added heavily,

  “And Steward Mu… he is an old friend. As Law Enforcement team leader at the Fenglin City docks, he has always been cautious and disciplined. Both of them have served the sect faithfully for years.”

  Three cultivators.

  All late Qi Refinement.

  All extinguished simultaneously.

  The weight of it pressed against Luo Shen’s chest like a stone.

  If even someone as steady as Steward Mu had fallen… then whatever awaited them in Blackstone City was far beyond ordinary danger.

  Master Tang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

  “So… you truly know nothing about your son’s purpose in going to Blackstone City?”

  Luo Shen straightened despite the storm inside him.

  “I swear, Master. I have no knowledge of it. He did not inform me at all.”

  The answer came smoothly.

  Too smoothly.

  Tang watched him for a long moment, as if weighing not only the words but the silence between them.

  “That will be all for now,” he said at last. “The Law Enforcement Department will conduct a thorough investigation. When there are developments… you will be summoned again.”

  A pause.

  Dismissal.

  Luo Shen bowed deeply.

  “This subordinate understands. I place my faith in the sect… and request justice for my son.”

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  Tang gave a faint nod, neither promising nor refusing.

  Luo Shen retreated from the office, closing the door softly behind him.

  Only once he stepped into the corridor did the mask slip.

  His jaw tightened.

  Thrrr deaths.

  Blackstone City.

  An inheritance.

  This matter would not end quietly.

  He did not return to his quarters.

  Instead, he changed direction immediately and headed toward Li Yuxue’s courtyard.

  Li Yuxue had been especially close to Sheng Xia. The two were nearly inseparable in recent years.

  It was unlikely she knew anything concrete.

  But unlikely did not mean impossible.

  Right now, Luo Shen needed every fragment of information he could gather.

  Even whispers.

  Even intuition.

  The wind through the sect’s pine trees sounded unusually sharp as he walked, like needles scraping across stone.

  Li Yuxue remained blissfully unaware of the storm gathering beyond her quiet courtyard.

  Her days were filled with ink, talisman paper, and the faint crackle of spiritual brush strokes. Thanks to Sheng Xia, her talent for drawing had been discovered early, and she had been accepted as an in-name disciple by Sheng Xia’s master. For someone with a three-element spiritual root, such fortune was rare. Talent and opportunity had met at just the right time.

  Compared to other new recruits, Li Yuxue’s path had been unexpectedly smooth.

  At that moment, a knock sounded against her courtyard formation.

  She deactivated the barrier and opened the gate.

  Her expression shifted in surprise at the sight of Steward Luo Shen’s somber face.

  She cupped her hands respectfully. “Steward Luo, long time no see.”

  Luo Shen’s voice was steady, but his eyes were heavy. “Little Yuxue, I need to ask you a few things.”

  “Of course, Senior. Please come in.”

  They sat across from one another in the modest courtyard hall. Luo Shen did not waste time.

  “You will hear about this soon regardless,” he said bluntly. “I came to inform you personally so you can be prepared if the Law Enforcement Department summons you for questioning. Perhaps Xia’s master already knows.”

  Li Yuxue frowned. “Senior… what happened?”

  Luo Shen looked directly at her.

  “My son, Yan’er… and Sheng Xia… are presumably dead.”

  The words fell like a stone into still water.

  Li Yuxue froze.

  For a heartbeat, her mind refused to process what she had heard.

  Dead?

  Impossible.

  But Luo Shen did not give her time to absorb the shock.

  “Did Xia mention anything about leaving the sect? Anything that could assist the investigation?”

  Li Yuxue blinked rapidly, her thoughts scrambling to catch up with reality.

  “How… how could that be? Sister Xia…” Her eyes reddened almost instantly.

  Luo Shen’s tone hardened. “There is no time for grief right now. Do you know anything?”

  She swallowed, forcing herself to think.

  “A week ago… we visited the Fenglin City auction house. With Senior Brother Yan.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Later… Senior Brother Yan told Sister Xia that he would wait for her. I thought… I thought it was about their marriage arrangements. Sister Xia didn’t tell me anything else.”

  Luo Shen frowned.

  It was unlikely Li Yuxue had been involved. She was still in the early stages of Qi Refinement. An expedition of that level would have been beyond her capacity.

  Perhaps her weakness had saved her life.

  He exhaled slowly.

  “That is enough. The sect is already investigating. The truth will surface soon.” He stood. “Focus on your cultivation.”

  Without another word, he left.

  The courtyard fell silent once more.

  Li Yuxue remained seated, staring blankly ahead.

  Sheng Xia had been her guide, her protector, her anchor within the vast and often intimidating world of the sect. The thought that she was gone felt like the ground had tilted beneath her feet.

  Loss swelled inside her chest.

  Confusion followed.

  And then, without understanding why, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

  One name surfaced quietly in her mind.

  Chen Mo

  Chen Mo flexed his fingers, feeling the dense strength beneath his skin.

  After refining the first-rank demonic beast, he opened his panel again.

  Body Refinement: Rank 2 20/500 (Early Stage)

  He nodded slightly.

  Still early stage… but the progress was visible.

  “It seems I’ll need to hunt many more demonic beasts,” he muttered inwardly. “Or find some heaven-and-earth treasures to accelerate the Primordial Body Art…”

  His gaze drifted toward the mountain range outside the cave.

  Since he was already deep within the wilderness, he might as well make full use of it.

  He reached into his storage pouch and retrieved the control token connected to the puppet construct. Infusing it with fire qi, he activated the array within.

  A shimmer of light gathered before him.

  The puppet appeared.

  Tall. Silent. Cold.

  According to the information stored within the token, the construct was comparable to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. It could operate freely within the range of the user’s spiritual senses and consumed five medium spirit stones per day for maintenance. If used in battle, the consumption increased significantly.

  Chen Mo tilted his head slightly.

  “For me, it’s somewhat redundant,” he murmured.

  After all, an early Foundation Establishment level opponent was no longer terrifying to him. With his spatial abilities and dual cultivation paths, he could handle such threats personally.

  Still—

  For hunting demonic beasts?

  Efficient.

  The puppet’s materials were unusual. Dense. Metallic yet organic. Strange runic lines faintly traced its limbs, far more refined than anything he had seen among ordinary rogue cultivators.

  Curious.

  He slotted five medium spirit stones into the grooves along its torso. The array lit up instantly, drawing in the energy.

  Using the token, he imprinted new commands.

  Hunt.

  Capture.

  Return.

  The puppet shimmered once more.

  Then—

  Woosh.

  It vanished from the cave entrance, moving with frightening speed into the mountains.

  Chen Mo watched thoughtfully.

  “It’s like a preprogrammed robot from my previous life,” he mused quietly. “Interesting…”

  His eyes narrowed slightly.

  If such constructs existed at this level, were there more advanced ones? Autonomous war machines? Nascent Soul-level guardians? Ancient relics capable of independent thought?

  And where had Huo Zhenwei obtained it?

  The skull insignia token.

  The strange diagrams.

  The demonic rituals.

  There was a larger web behind that old ghost.

  Chen Mo leaned back against the cave wall, violet fire qi circulating calmly through his meridians.

  “This world keeps getting more interesting.”

  Outside, somewhere in the mountains, something roared.

  Then abruptly went silent.