I. The Visitor in the Black Mist
At the Eastern Sea Floating Pavilion, the night wind howled and the waves pounded the cliffside like mountains crashing, like thunder roaring.
Shen Qingyuan donned his robe and stepped out onto the pavilion, standing atop the cliff. In his hand, the Soul-Severing Blade gave off a faint hum, as though sensing something.
"Soul Slave?" he asked in a deep voice.Bai Zhou nodded, his face grave. "This man's figure is bizarre and his steps silent. He slipped past the sentries without stirring a single guard and now sits outside the main hall, unmoving. He calls himself 'Soul Slave,' name 'Wuhen'—No Trace."Shen Qingyuan's eyes flickered.
Soul Slaves were part of the Shadow Sect's forbidden techniques. It was said that during the era of Sect Leader Yu Qingshuang, three Soul Slaves were forged through the Nine Soul Technique, each bearing a single soul. The technique was exceedingly cruel—it required the seven emotions and nine souls of a person to be extracted, erasing all human will, leaving only absolute obedience. Only those of the sect leader's bloodline or bearing the Soul Token could command them.
If this man truly was one of the ancient Soul Slaves—Wuhen, then the trap laid by his mother all those years ago had yet to conclude!
Shen Qingyuan immediately ordered Bai Zhou to retreat. He stepped into the main hall himself.
Though the hall was unlit, it wasn't shrouded in darkness. Pale blue lights glimmered from the runes carved into the walls, revealing a lone figure seated at the center.
The man wore a gray robe, seated cross-legged, as motionless as stone, emanating no trace of life.
"Shen Qingyuan?" the man suddenly spoke. His voice was dry and hoarse, like dead wood striking a bronze bell.
Shen Qingyuan approached and offered a slight bow. "If you served my mother in days past, why reveal yourself now?"
Wuhen slowly raised his head. His eyes were ashen gray, but for a fleeting instant, a glint of blood flashed through them.
"I come by the Soul Token's command. On the day the Soul Master perished, the token shattered into three. I swore a blood oath with my soul, sealing myself within the Dragon Gate of the Eastern Sea for thirty years. Now, sensing her soul's return, I act on her final will—to pass on a Soul Mark to you."
"Soul Mark?" Shen Qingyuan's heart quivered.
The Soul Marks were the foundation of the Shadow Sect's core arts. In the old days, the sect had three marks: the Soul-Severing Mark, the Soul-Capturing Mark, and the Soul-Locking Mark. Only through proper transmission could one learn their secrets.
"Your blade has already absorbed one soul segment. You are ready to receive the Soul-Capturing Mark."As he finished speaking, Wuhen pointed a finger. A blood-red vortex appeared in midair.
He cast a drop of his own blood into the vortex. Instantly, his entire body melted like wax, leaving behind a crimson shadow that shot into Shen Qingyuan's forehead.
"My oath ends here."
Shen Qingyuan cried out in pain, head tilted skyward. A searing light burned from his brow, as if his soul was being plunged into flames!
—"Soul-Capturing Mark: Capture the spirit and shatter the mind—one thought, and your foe's soul splinters!"
The blade sang softly. A new soul segment awakened. Shen Qingyuan slowly opened his eyes—blood red.
The hall stood empty. Wuhen had turned to dust.
II. The Shadow Sect's Old Pact
Bai Zhou returned to the hall and saw a faint red pattern on Shen Qingyuan's brow, shaped like a slanted chain beneath the skin. He was visibly startled.
"That's the Soul-Capturing Mark?"
Shen Qingyuan nodded. "He imbued his entire soul into me. My soul power has surged."
Bai Zhou sighed. "The Soul Slave art is powerful, but stealing the will of heaven comes at a price… You must be cautious."
Shen Qingyuan gave a slight nod.
Just then, Night Butterfly entered quietly, holding a brocade scroll. "The Soul Slave left this. Sealed by soul imprint—only you can open it."
Shen Qingyuan accepted it. At his touch, the brocade unfurled by itself, revealing a map.
It was a hidden map from the Shadow Sect, lost for thirty years—The Diagram of Hidden Darkness.
The map marked four ancient locations:Northern Snowfall Valley, Western Soul Terrace, Southern Endless Grotto, Central Xuanming Shrine,Each labeled with a character:Sever, Capture, Lock, Break.
Shen Qingyuan murmured, "Could these four locations be the ultimate source of the Soul-Severing Blade?"
Bai Zhou's expression grew solemn. "Years ago, Sect Leader Yu Qingshuang said the blade had five segments. The final one—Soul-Breaking—never surfaced. This map may be the key."
Night Butterfly whispered, "In the Night Sect's hidden records, I once saw a fragment mentioning the 'Place of Soul Break'—it requires the unity of all four soul segments to unlock…"
Shen Qingyuan looked up, eyes blazing. "Then we begin with the Endless Grotto of the South—that is where my father, Yu Jinghan, fell. Perhaps it hides more secrets."
Bai Zhou and Night Butterfly exchanged a glance. Neither objected.
Shen Qingyuan turned eastward, toward the rising sun—but within, his thoughts surged like tides.
—His mother, Yu Qingshuang.His father, Yu Jinghan.The Blood Shadow Tower.The Tower Beyond Heaven…All signs pointed to the ancient undersea land lost in silence for decades.
III. Shadows Beneath the Endless
Five days later, a black boat sailed southward through crashing waves. The night sky was pitch dark, the moon hidden.
Aboard the boat, Shen Qingyuan, Bai Zhou, and Night Butterfly sat in tense silence.
Ahead, just dozens of miles away, lay the Endless Grotto.
This ancient abyss had no visible floor and was said to descend forever. It was where Yu Jinghan had perished in his final stand. Since then, the Shadow Sect sealed the surrounding seas, and no one dared approach.
As the boat reached the border, the waters turned blood-red. A dense killing aura surged forth.
"Tide of Soul Miasma," Bai Zhou murmured, brows tightly furrowed. "I once watched it from afar… to face it directly is something else entirely."
Shen Qingyuan stood at the prow, blade in hand. The Soul-Severing Blade vibrated faintly, as if yearning.
"It's calling to me."
Night Butterfly listened intently, then gasped. "Do you hear that?"
From the distant sea winds came a faint, mournful tune—like weeping spirits.
Shen Qingyuan's expression changed. "That's… my mother's Sound-Severing Zither!"
He immediately pushed the boat forward. The wind and waves intensified.
At the center of the black sea, an island emerged—withered trees, no beasts or birds. In the center, a tilted stone hall stood, half-collapsed.
They landed. Shen Qingyuan led the way, stepping into the hall—only to feel the ground vanish beneath his feet.
"Qingyuan!" Bai Zhou and Night Butterfly cried out.
He fell into the abyss. Wind howled in his ears, but his mind grew sharper.
He knew—the blade had led him here.
IV. The Birth of Soul-Breaking
He fell for an eternity before landing.
Around him was a vast cave, cold and damp. At the center stood a stone platform, upon which rested a coffin.
Black lacquer, carved with nine serpents encircling a blade—marked with the seal of the Shadow Sect.
Shen Qingyuan stepped closer. As his fingers brushed the lid, countless runes lit the chamber.
The coffin slowly opened. A thick stench of blood burst forth.
Inside lay a corpse—its face resembled Shen Qingyuan by seventy percent. Hands clutching a blade, chest sunken.
That blade was the fifth segment—Soul-Breaking!
His eyes burned crimson. A powerful resonance surged from within.
He reached for the hilt. The corpse suddenly opened its eyes.
"I am not your enemy… You shall become one…"
The deep voice faded. The corpse dissolved into countless light fragments, merging with the blade.
The five segments were whole!
A surge of unimaginable energy burst forth. The entire grotto quaked as seawater rushed inward!
Shen Qingyuan roared, drawing the blade. A scarlet beam shot upward, tearing through the sea!
On the surface, Night Butterfly and Bai Zhou watched in awe as the red light pierced the sky like a gate to hell.
"He did it!" Night Butterfly gasped.
Moments later, Shen Qingyuan broke through the water, standing atop the glowing blade. His aura had changed entirely.
Bai Zhou rushed over. "Are you alright?"
Shen Qingyuan's voice was low. "The blade is whole… but part of my soul has been devoured."
Night Butterfly examined his brow. Beneath the Soul-Capturing Mark, a black crack-like mark had appeared.
"You've entered the realm of Soul-Fused Blade," she murmured.
"There's no return from this path," Bai Zhou said softly. "You are now both blade master and Soul Slave."
Shen Qingyuan looked up at the shattered sky.
"So be it. My mother's death remains unsolved. My father's soul lies here. The Shadow Sect's fall—still a mystery… I must see it through!"
The three boarded the black boat once more, sailing north.
Night Butterfly suddenly asked, "The map marks the Northern Snowfall Valley—when will we go there?"
Shen Qingyuan gripped the Soul-Severing Blade. His eyes gleamed with killing intent.
"Now!"
V. A Storm of Snow Approaches
Snow began to fall in the northern lands. A cold front swept across the entire martial world.
Old enemies of the Shadow Sect stirred. The Tower Beyond Heaven's master, Ye Xiaohun, convened a new Hundred Tower Assembly, declaring his intent to exterminate the heir of the Soul-Severing Blade.
From the Blood Shadow Tower, the new master Blood Crow led the Thirteen Ghost Children into the world once more, determined to seize the blade and harvest its soul.
And now, the Soul-Severing Blade had awakened—all five segments whole. Its master…
(To be continued.)