The Swordbirth Marks moved.
Jian Long pressed his palm against the training yard's shattered tiles, feeling the carvings squirm beneath his touch like caterpillars in silk. His orchid eye revealed the truth—each mark was a pupal sac, their intricate sword-shaped patterns actually veins pulsing with golden ichor.
Mei—or whatever shared her body now—watched him with mismatched eyes. Her voice came layered, celestial harmonics vibrating beneath every word:
"You begin to see. This sect was never for cultivating swords... but for cultivating us."
The system rebooted with a cascade of errors:
[WARNING: Celestial Corruption Detected]
• Host Location: Primary incubation chamber (Disguised as training yard)
• Local Qi Composition: 78% larval digestive enzymes
• Recommended Action: Immediate evacuation
A thunderous crack split the dawn air. The central dueling platform erupted upward, revealing a spiraling staircase grown from fused bone. The scent that poured forth—cloying honey undercut by rotting meat—made Jian Long's vision swim.
Mei's hand clamped around his wrist, her nails elongating into chitinous points. "She wants to meet you. The Mother."
The staircase breathed.
Walls of living cartilage expanded and contracted around them as they descended, glowing pustules illuminating the way. Every few steps, Jian Long's enhanced vision caught faces pressed against the membranous walls—disciple-shaped voids where people had been dissolved.
[Survival Analysis]
• Air Toxicity: Increasing by 9% per minute
• Temperature: 42°C and rising (Larval metabolic heat)
• Notable Findings:
Swordbirth Mark carvings match wasp larval mouthpartsVelvet Sword robes mimic queen's wing patternsSect hierarchy mirrors hive caste system
Mei's transformation accelerated. Golden veins now climbed her neck, her right eye fully celestial. When she spoke, the buzzing undertone made Jian Long's teeth ache:
"Twelve generations we've waited. Twelve harvests of suitable vessels. She'll find you... interesting."
The chamber at the bottom stole his breath.
A cathedral of living chitin stretched into darkness, its ribbed arches dripping with amber nectar. At the center stood a throne of petrified cultivators—their frozen screams perfectly preserved—and upon it...
The Hive Queen.
Half-woman, half-wasp, her segmented abdomen pulsed with the rhythm of a thousand unborn young. Where her face should be, seven Swordbirth Marks rotated like a hellish constellation.
"Jian Long." The voice vibrated through his bones. "We taste your stolen divinity."
The queen's stinger tapped an arrhythmic pattern against her throne. Each impact released a memory:
The Founding: First disciples willingly accepting Swordbirth MarksThe Betrayal: Elder Lian discovering the larval truthThe Compromise: Monthly "awakening rituals" to cull strong vessels
Jian Long's system finally stabilized with a damning report:
[Hive Queen Physiology]
• True Age: 1,892 years (Celestial hibernation cycle)
• Weakness: Requires virgin Yin bodies to spawn new queens
• Critical Flaw: Cannot harm those bearing her own mark
Mei's golden-scarred wrist twitched.
Think.
With a grin that hid trembling knees, Jian Long bowed. "Your Majesty, I bring a proposal."
He tore open his robe, revealing the birthmark—now glowing the same gold as Mei's corruption.
"Adopt me."
The hive held its breath.