By dawn, the rumors had spread through every corner of the outer sect like wildfire in dry grass.
"Did you hear? Lu Shan was crippled by a new recruit!"
"They say he didn't even use Qi! Just martial technique!"
"Is he some hidden master's disciple?"
Most didn't know Su Chen's name yet—but they would.
Su Chen, meanwhile, was already awake.
He sat cross-legged in the shadow of a dying pine tree behind the latrine pits. Hardly a sacred ground for cultivation, but it was quiet, and for now, that was all he needed.
In front of him floated a transparent, flickering interface only he could see.
> [Temporary Qi Channeling Unlocked – Time Remaining: 46 Hours, 21 Minutes]
[System Tip: Initial Qi Gathering requires perfect stillness of body and mind. Recommend Void Meditation Technique – you may recall it from your previous life.]
Su Chen took a slow breath.
The Void Meditation had been developed by an ancient sect destroyed before even the Crimson Serpent's founding. It didn't require spiritual roots—only willpower, silence, and awareness of the void between breaths.
He closed his eyes.
He listened—to the wind brushing cracked tiles, to the flies buzzing near the waste pits, to the beating of his own heart.
Slower. Slower still.
And then—
He felt it.
Qi.
Like the shimmer of heat on stone. Subtle. Dancing at the edge of awareness. He reached for it—not forcefully, but like one trying to remember a forgotten dream.
His dantian pulsed.
> [Qi Flow Detected – Gathering Efficiency: 14%]
[Current Progress to Stage 1: 2.3%]
It was a beginning.
Su Chen's lips curled into a slight smile. A mortal would spend months reaching what he had touched in an hour.
But this body… it was still too frail. The channels were narrow. He needed more time, more conditioning. Still, he was ahead of schedule.
He stood, brushing dirt from his robes.
That's when he heard footsteps—more than one pair.
He turned slowly to find three outer sect disciples approaching from the trail.
All older. All wearing the red-trimmed robes of the Crimson Serpent.
One stepped forward. Tall. Square jaw. Cold, calculating eyes. A gold pin gleamed on his shoulder—Senior Outer Disciple.
"Su Chen, right?" he said. "Impressive performance yesterday."
Su Chen said nothing. He simply inclined his head.
"I'm Yan Xiang. Disciple under Elder Miao." He gestured to the two men beside him. "We saw potential in you. Elder Miao sponsors elite disciples. Protects them. Rewards them. You've drawn attention—some good, some not."
Su Chen met his gaze evenly. "I didn't intend to draw attention."
"That's not how the sect works," Yan Xiang said. "You stand out, you become a target—or an asset."
A pause. Calculated.
"Become one of ours. Pledge your loyalty to Elder Miao's faction. You'll receive pills. Training manuals. Protection from… unpleasant surprises."
Su Chen's mind ticked like clockwork.
He remembered Miao's name. A minor elder now. In fifty years, she would rise to be one of the Five Viper Thrones—until she was murdered in a betrayal that nearly shattered the sect.
But that was a timeline long past.
Still, the political map was useful.
"Tempting," Su Chen said. "But I'm not ready to be owned. Not yet."
Yan Xiang's lips twitched. "This isn't about ownership. It's survival."
"And I'm still alive," Su Chen replied.
There was silence between them, long and brittle.
Then Yan Xiang nodded, smile tight. "Very well. We'll speak again."
They turned and left.
As soon as they vanished behind the ridge, the System chimed.
> [Political Web Unlocked – Crimson Serpent Faction Chart Created]
[Major Factions Identified: Elder Miao, Elder Duan, Instructor Yao, and Shadow Sect Infiltrators]
[New Hidden Objective: Manipulate Sect Conflict – Survive Until Internal Purge]
Su Chen exhaled.
Politics, in a sect like this, were more dangerous than duels.
He turned to leave—and nearly bumped into a girl standing near the corner of the tree.
She was slim, silent, dressed in plain disciple robes, and held a bundle of herbs in her arms. Her eyes were sharp. Curious.
"I saw you fight yesterday," she said. "You moved like water in a well."
Su Chen blinked. "That's a strange compliment."
"I'm strange," she said. "Name's Lin Yao. I'm one of the herb collectors. I work in the Mistvale Garden."
Su Chen nodded once. "Su Chen."
"You're going to make a lot of enemies," she added. "Be careful. Some here don't fight with fists."
Then she walked off, vanishing down a side trail like mist in the morning light.
Su Chen watched her go.
Another ripple in the pond.
This sect was a den of serpents. And now, the smallest viper was drawing fangs.
But Su Chen wasn't afraid.
Let them plot. Let them strike.
He had a Reset waiting. And a future already written.