Three days passed like falling snow on fire.
Quiet on the surface.
But underneath, the sect stirred.
The Elders' Summit was not merely ceremonial. It was the true battlefield of the inner sect. Here, alliances were forged, disciples were chosen, and power shifted—quietly, dangerously—like tectonic plates under the earth.
Su Chen knew this all too well.
Before his death in his last life, he had attended one such Summit. Back then, he stood in the far back, unnoticed, his voice irrelevant.
This time, he would step onto the stage not as an onlooker—
—but as a threat.
---
In his secluded courtyard, Su Chen sat beneath the moon, shirtless and meditating, his body covered in faint violet runes. The air around him shimmered as the first section of the Void Sutra sank deeper into his meridians.
> [Void Sutra: Fragment I — 94% Integration]
Warning: Full activation may attract attention from higher-realm entities.
Perk unlocked: Partial Void Resistance, Mental Interference Immunity (Tier I)
He opened his eyes and exhaled, scattering the mist before him.
Then he stood and stepped inside.
A red robe waited for him—formal attire for the Summit. Smooth silk. Gold thread. A mark of rank.
He stared at it.
Then reached for a different robe.
Black. Plain. Unmarked.
If he was going to rattlecages, he didn't need embellishment.
He was the danger.
---
The Elders' Summit was held atop Skyfire Hall, a floating platform suspended by ancient formation arrays. Only inner disciples, elders, and a few selected observers were allowed access.
As Su Chen climbed the staircase carved into the mountain face, whispers buzzed behind him.
"He's here…"
"That's the one who crippled Ji Liang."
"He's not even wearing his ranking robes. Does he think this is a farm market?"
He ignored them.
At the summit, tiered seats formed a semi-circle around the central platform. Elder Mo sat near the middle, robed in crimson, face impassive, eyes like knives. Several elders glanced Su Chen's way, their gazes lingering—measuring.
Yue Ling sat quietly at the far edge, wrapped in her usual frost-blue robes. She gave him a sidelong glance, one brow raised.
Su Chen didn't bow.
Didn't kneel.
He walked straight past the open floor… and took a seat near the center.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Is he insane?"
"That spot is for ranked disciples—!"
Elder Mo's eyes flickered. "Su Chen. That seat—"
"—is vacant," Su Chen said calmly, folding his hands. "Unless I'm mistaken, there's no officialclaim on it."
Silence.
The senior elder presiding over the Summit, a long-browed man named Elder Tianxu, let out a low chuckle.
"Well, he's not wrong," he said. "And I do enjoy boldness."
He waved a hand lazily. "Let the boy sit. We'll see if he can keep the position."
Elder Mo said nothing—but his knuckles tightened.
---
The Summit began.
Announcements. Territory expansions. Resource allocations. Disciplinary decisions. Most disciples barely listened.
But Su Chen sat still, watching.
This was the dance before the knives.
Eventually, Elder Tianxu cleared his throat.
"Now, for faction nominations. Any inner disciple may submit intent to form a new sect faction."
The crowd stirred.
Few dared to do so. Forming a faction meant influence, responsibility, and a long list of enemies.
Yue Ling glanced toward Su Chen.
He didn't move.
Not yet.
Instead, a large figure rose. Chen Baoshan—favored by Elder Qin. Known for muscle, not subtlety.
"I, Chen Baoshan, of the Iron Mountain Sect lineage, seek approval to form the Steel Fang Alliance. Backed by Elder Qin and three Peak Elders. Purpose: discipline and unity."
Applause followed.
Safe. Predictable.
Then Su Chen stood.
The air changed.
"I also seek approval to form a faction."
Even Elder Tianxu raised an eyebrow. "So the rumor was true. What's it called?"
Su Chen smiled.
"The Reset Hall."
The name echoed like thunder.
Reset.
Like the whispered tales in the outer sect.
The boy who returned from death.
The one who changedfate.
Murmurs exploded.
Yue Ling's eyes flickered with curiosity.
Chen Baoshan scowled.
Elder Mo's expression darkened.
Tianxu leaned forward. "And its purpose?"
Su Chen stepped forward, voice clear.
"To shatter stagnation. To challenge the old, and raise the new. We'll take those abandoned by the current order—"
He stared directly at Elder Mo.
"—and make them stronger than those who sat on golden chairs all their lives."
Gasps.
Snorts of laughter.
But in the crowd… some disciples' eyes burned with hidden fire.
The silent ones. The overlooked. The ambitious without sponsors.
Elder Mo's voice snapped out. "You dare speak against the sect's hierarchy?"
Su Chen didn't blink.
"I dare to survive it."
Tianxu leaned back, amused. "Then prove it."
He raised a hand.
"In three days, there will be a sect trial. Standard rules: arena, three challenges, open betting. Win all three, and you may form your Reset Hall."
He smiled faintly.
"If not, your little rebellion dies quietly."
Su Chen bowed slightly.
"Understood."
As he returned to his seat, debate erupted behind him.
But only one voice caught his ear—Yue Ling's.
She murmured as he passed.
"You really want to start a war this early?"
Su Chen smiled, eyes forward.
"I'm not starting it."
"I'm just giving it a name."