The skies above the Immortal Dao Academy trembled as divine formations spun in ancient patterns. At the center of the martial continent, where ley lines converged and time itself felt slower, a rift split open — a jagged, spiraling vortex of purple and crimson light.
The Twilight Ruin Secret Realm had awakened.
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Thundercloud Platform – Entrance Ceremony
Three hundred disciples stood in formation, robed in academy colors, Qi blazing from their bodies. Floating above them, the elders formed complex seals in the air, chanting incantations passed down since ancient times.
Wu Tangge stood at the front line, his silver robes fluttering in the wind, his expression calm and composed.
Beside him were his faction's hidden elite — disciples from the Wu, Bei, and Han clans who had quietly pledged loyalty to him. Some called them the Crimson Serpent Circle, though none dared speak it aloud.
Yun Ling'er was among them too, though she still kept her distance, her eyes occasionally flickering toward him with uncertainty.
Elder Tianxing raised his hand.
"This is no ordinary trial," he declared. "Within the Twilight Ruin, your strength, intelligence, and virtue will all be tested. Protect your fellow disciples. Seek knowledge, not destruction."
Wu Tangge bowed with perfect form. "We will not disappoint."
The disciples echoed him, respect shining in their eyes. His leadership was effortless. Magnetic. Inspiring.
But within Tangge's mind…
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[Wu Tangge's Inner Thoughts]
"Fools. Even the elders have no idea what lies in that realm. This is no trial. This is a tomb for gods—and a throne for monsters."
"They think I lead them with virtue… but I only lead them because they're useful pieces."
"Still, I will protect them… because loyalty must be bought with heroism. And once they revere me enough, they'll follow me into darkness without hesitation."
---
Twilight Ruin – First Step
As the vortex expanded, the first wave of disciples entered.
Tangge stepped through the rift with cold confidence.
Instantly, the world shifted.
He emerged into a desolate land of gray skies and cracked obsidian ground. Trees twisted like screaming corpses. Faint whispers echoed from broken stone altars.
A nearby monument pulsed with corrupted Qi.
A lesser disciple stumbled beside him, overwhelmed by the aura. Tangge caught him, supporting him upright.
"Steady yourself," he said gently. "We need each other here."
The disciple's eyes widened with gratitude. "Th-thank you, Senior Tangge."
Tangge smiled softly, reassuring him.
But in his mind…
"You'll die soon anyway… but die believing I cared. That's all I need."
---
Deeper in the Ruin – First Conflict
A beast emerged from the mists — a five-eyed serpent warped by chaotic energy. Dozens of disciples panicked, drawing weapons, some freezing in terror.
"Form up!" Tangge commanded, his voice sharp as lightning. "Left wing, bait! Right flank, prepare to trap it! Seal its movement!"
The battle was swift. Under his leadership, not a single disciple died.
Cheers erupted.
"Senior Tangge saved us!"
"He's like a general in the legends!"
Yun Ling'er watched silently, biting her lip.
"He's… not the same Tangge I knew. But… this version is even more dangerous."
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Nightfall – Secret Camp Beneath the Cliff
The disciples set up camp in a narrow crevice protected by formation stones.
Tangge stood at the cliff's edge, staring into the stormy horizon. A scroll pulsed in his hand — the True Map of the Twilight Ruin, given to him secretly by the System.
---
Ding!
Hidden Quest Update: Control the Secret Realm
Progress: 7/30 Ruin Nodes Detected
Next Objective: Reach the Black Altar of the Eastern Scar
Bonus Objective: Manipulate a rival faction to eliminate your enemies
---
Tangge's red eyes flashed once before he returned them to normal.
Behind him, the disciples drank and praised him around spirit fires.
To them, he was the beacon of hope in a cursed land.
To the realm, he was a lurking storm of evil biding its time.
The cursed twilight above the realm grew darker with each passing hour. Unseen by most, crimson lines spiderwebbed across the skies like veins of a sleeping god.
At the temporary camp, disciples rested, cultivated, or sparred quietly. Yet Wu Tangge stood alone on the cliff, scanning the map etched onto the inside of his palm by the system.
"Only two days left before the inner zone opens... The Black Altar lies beyond the Bone Marshes and is guarded by a corrupted divine beast," he muttered.
"But more importantly…" he smirked.
"That altar can twist fate itself. And if I unlock it first—I won't just gain power. I'll gain control over this realm and every relic inside it."
---
Elsewhere, at a rival camp – Bei Clan's Stronghold
Elder Bei, a stoic and paranoid cultivator, stood atop a rocky platform surrounded by his disciples.
"Keep an eye on Wu Tangge," he barked. "He acts too perfect. That means he's hiding something."
One of his spies, a shadow-robed disciple, knelt before him.
"Elder, we received word… he's heading east. Likely toward a ruin node."
"Then we intercept. If we can claim that altar before him, the Bei Clan will have leverage over both Wu and Yun Clans."
---
Back to Tangge – The Bone Marshes
Sticky mists clung to the group like cobwebs. Strange whispers coiled through the air, clawing at their minds. Several weaker disciples began hallucinating.
Yun Ling'er suddenly stumbled. Tangge was at her side in a breath, holding her upright.
"Careful," he whispered. "The miasma attacks your thoughts."
"I'm… fine," she muttered, though sweat trickled down her neck.
Tangge pressed a small talisman to her chest.
"Keep this. It protects against illusion Qi. I made it… for you."
Her heart fluttered before she looked away.
"Thank you… but don't think I've forgiven you."
"I don't want forgiveness," Tangge said, voice low. "Just… a chance."
Behind them, the disciples watched their leader with admiration and trust.
"Senior Wu is so calm… so noble."
"He's not like the arrogant heirs from other clans."
They didn't notice the way Tangge's shadow twitched unnaturally beneath him.
---
Midnight – Arrival at the Black Altar
Cracked obsidian steps led up a jagged hill where the Black Altar rose like a clawed throne. Dark energy pulsed from it, calling to something ancient in Tangge's blood.
The other disciples hesitated.
"This place… it feels cursed," someone whispered.
"We'll wait outside," Yun Ling'er said. "We'll guard you."
Tangge gave her a warm nod—one that masked his true intent.
As soon as he stood alone before the altar, the system buzzed.
---
Ding!
Mission Node: Black Altar Initiated
Absorb Ruin Power – 0%
Bonus Objective Available: Bait a Rival Faction into the Curse Zone
Unlockable: Evil God's Domain – Fragment I
---
Tangge smiled cruelly.
"Perfect."
He took out a jade slip—one he'd 'accidentally dropped' days earlier near a Bei spy. Within it: false information that a supreme artifact lay hidden within the altar's heart… unguarded.
"Let's see how much the Bei Clan trusts its spies."
---
At Dawn – The Trap Is Sprung
As predicted, dozens of Bei Clan disciples stormed the altar at first light, shouting for Tangge to surrender the area.
"Wu Tangge! We know you found something! Hand it over!"
But the moment they stepped into the altar's aura, the land beneath them twisted. Black tendrils of ruin energy erupted, skewering several disciples instantly.
"A trap!"
Tangge stood at the altar's top, cloak fluttering, hands behind his back.
"So impatient. You should have listened to the elders and stayed away."
The Bei disciples screamed as the curse ate their life force. Yun Ling'er and the others arrived just in time to see Tangge 'rescue' the remaining disciples by purging the curse with a holy flame.
"He saved them again…"
"He warned them, and they didn't listen. Truly a wise leader."
---
That Night – Tangge's Inner Voice
As praise flooded in, Tangge sat atop the altar, eyes glowing faintly red.
"They believe I'm their savior. Perfect."
"One more ruin to conquer, and this realm will be mine."