The System's chilling revelation – "Architect's Direct Influence Detected in Aberration Control. Correlation: Void Incursion is a Directed Assault" – hammered in Kenji Tanaka's mind even as the battle for Silverhaven raged. The Obsidian Hand wasn't merely present; they were collaborators, orchestrating the chaos, directing the terrifying void creatures that poured from the sky (Chapter 36).
Kenji fought with renewed ferocity, his Qi Condensation Level 4 cultivation (Chapter 29) a beacon of pure energy amidst the swirling void. He used his Void Affinity Purified skill (Chapter 28) to great effect, absorbing residual void energy from defeated aberrations, strengthening himself even as the pervasive corruption threatened to overwhelm other cultivators. His Spatial Blink (Intermediate) allowed him to dart through the chaotic battlefield, appearing where needed most, protecting vulnerable healers and disoriented disciples.
His Soul Sense (Basic) remained active, meticulously scanning the spiritual signatures of cultivators around him. He subtly identified more Obsidian Hand operatives, their Qi subtly distorted, tainted with the familiar void energy, subtly directing nearby aberrations, their faces hidden beneath unassuming hoods. They fought alongside the loyalists, but their true allegiance was clear.
His gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, searching for a powerful figure, a clear commander of these hidden traitors. His eyes locked onto Elder Riana, a respected Elder from the Order of the Azure Keep, whom he had seen earlier during the resource debates (Chapter 33). She was a powerful cultivator, known for her mastery of earth-elemental Qi. She was fighting valiantly against a colossal, multi-limbed aberration, seeming to push it back with immense effort. But something felt off. Her Qi flow, though immense, carried a subtle, discordant note, a faint void-like resonance that Kenji's purified True Aetherial Roots instinctively recoiled from.
This was the opportunity. Kenji moved quickly, using his Spatial Blink to appear directly beside Master Thorne, who was struggling to hold a defensive line against a surge of aberrations. He subtly nudged his mentor, his voice low and urgent, projecting his thoughts directly into Master Thorne's mind with a burst of refined Qi.
"Master! Elder Riana! Her Qi… it's tainted with void energy! She's directing them!" Kenji transmitted, simultaneously pointing subtly towards Elder Riana, who was now seemingly overwhelmed by the aberration, drawing more loyal cultivators to her aid.
Master Thorne's eyes widened, a flicker of shock and disbelief in their depths. He immediately focused his own considerable Qi senses on Elder Riana. He felt it—a subtle, insidious void presence that was unnerving in its purity, yet undeniable. Master Thorne's face hardened. He was disturbed but, seeing Elder Riana still fighting, knew he needed more proof. He couldn't openly accuse a respected elder in the midst of battle without irrefutable evidence. He understood Kenji's message, and he began to observe Elder Riana with a new, terrifying scrutiny.
Just as Kenji subtle nudged Master Thorne, Elder Riana, seemingly overwhelmed by the massive aberration, let out a desperate cry for aid. Several loyal cultivators, including a few from the Veridian Brotherhood, rushed to her side, their Qi flaring in powerful attacks against the monster. Elder Riana, with a desperate surge of her own Qi, seemingly unleashed a powerful, devastating earth-elemental technique that disintegrated the aberration into dust.
A cheer erupted from the nearby cultivators. "Elder Riana! A true hero!"
But Kenji's Soul Sense screamed at him. It was a feint. A terrifyingly perfect feint.
Elder Riana, her face still contorted in a mask of battle-worn exhaustion, subtly shifted her Qi. Her earth-elemental Qi, instead of dissipating harmlessly, twisted into sharp, razor-edged fragments that spun with surprising speed. And instead of aiming at the void creatures, they veered sharply, targeting the very cultivators who had just come to her aid, aiming for their unprotected backs.
"Master Thorne! She's a traitor!" Kenji roared, his voice cutting through the din of battle. He didn't wait. He unleashed a powerful burst of his own True Aetherial Roots Qi, creating a broad, protective shield around the unsuspecting cultivators. The razor-sharp Qi fragments slammed into Kenji's shield, detonating harmlessly.
Elder Riana's head snapped towards Kenji, her eyes blazing with undisguised fury. Her face, moments ago weary, was now contorted into a terrifying mask of pure void-touched malice. Her Qi, no longer subtle, erupted with blatant void energy, corrupting her earth-elemental techniques into dark, destructive power.
"Foolish commoner!" Elder Riana snarled, her voice distorted, resonant with a chilling void presence. "You meddle where you do not belong! The Architect's will shall not be denied!" She launched a torrent of void-infused earth spikes directly at Kenji, aiming to impale him.
Master Thorne, seeing the blatant betrayal, roared with rage. He had seen enough. "Riana! You traitor!" He immediately launched a devastating Qi blast at her, but Elder Riana, now fully unleashing her void-corrupted power, parried it with alarming ease.
The System flared with urgent, pulsating red text.
WARNING! MAJOR THREAT DETECTED. Traitor: Elder Riana.Threat Level: CRITICAL (High-ranking Infiltrator/Commander).Objective: Neutralize.
Kenji knew he had to act. Elder Riana was a powerful Qi Condensation Peak cultivator, now infused with void energy. She was a major threat, far beyond his previous opponents.
He dodged her earth spikes with a burst of Spatial Blink (Intermediate), appearing directly beside her. He unleashed his Arcane Disruption (Basic) Skill, directing it at her void-tainted Qi. This time, his Qi Condensation Level 4 cultivation, combined with his True Aetherial Roots, was strong enough to subtly disrupt her Qi flow, causing her void-infused techniques to falter for a precious second.
Master Thorne, seeing the opening Kenji created, immediately followed up with a powerful, focused Qi blast that slammed into Elder Riana, sending her staggering. Lyra, quick to react, launched a barrage of emerald energy bolts that impacted her body, slowing her further.
Elder Riana let out a frustrated shriek, her Qi flickering wildly. She knew she was exposed. Her eyes darted towards the colossal void portal still raging in the sky above Silverhaven. She had to escape.
With a desperate surge of void energy, she began to weave a complex, shadowy ritual with alarming speed, aiming to open a personal void portal for escape. This was a forbidden technique, allowing instant, untraceable travel through the void. It was a last resort, meant to ensure she couldn't be captured.
"She's escaping!" Master Thorne roared, launching another powerful attack, but Elder Riana's void-infused shields held firm, buying her precious seconds.
Kenji acted. He had seen this technique before, in the remnants of the ritual in the Forbidden Archives. His Rune Analysis Skill provided him with the counter-patterns. He used his Spatial Blink again, appearing directly behind Elder Riana. He didn't attack her. Instead, he slammed his palm onto the ground, directly into the nascent shadowy portal she was creating. He poured his own pure True Aetherial Roots Qi into it, disrupting its delicate void structure. He twisted the energy, corrupted its very purpose.
Elder Riana let out a horrifying shriek of rage and disbelief. Her personal void portal, already shimmering into existence, immediately destabilized. Instead of opening a pathway to escape, it imploded violently, engulfing her in a blinding flash of uncontrolled void energy.
She screamed, her voice consumed by the chaotic energies. The portal, instead of providing an escape, trapped her in its implosion. She was thrown backward, her body writhing, her void-corrupted Qi flaring uncontrollably. She slammed into a shattered pillar, her spiritual aura flickering wildly, her form barely coherent. She was alive, but barely. Her hidden portal had shattered, and she was now utterly exposed, weakened, and defeated.
Other high-ranking cultivators, stunned by the blatant betrayal and Kenji's unprecedented display of unique power, immediately surged forward. Grand Elder Seraphina's voice, imbued with immense authority, boomed across Silverhaven. "Secure her! She is a traitor to Aethelgard!"
They quickly moved to secure the captured Elder Riana, binding her with powerful spiritual chains. Her Qi was chaotic, tainted with void energy, but she was powerless, broken. The Elder from the Veridian Brotherhood, who had almost been hit by Riana's betrayal, stared at Kenji, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock, confusion, and profound gratitude.
Grand Elder Seraphina descended from her dais, her face grim. Her eyes, filled with a cold fury, swept over the still-raging battlefield, then settled on the captured Elder Riana. She then turned her gaze to Kenji. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were sharp, discerning. She knew. She understood the true implications of what he had done.
She approached Kenji, her gaze piercing, direct. "The Obsidian Hand's reach extends further than we imagined, Disciple Kenji," she said, her voice low, but carrying immense weight. "To have such a powerful Elder… so deeply corrupted. But how did you, a Qi Condensation cultivator, expose and capture her so swiftly? How did you know?" Her gaze was scrutinizing, a clear signal that Kenji had just drawn the full, profound attention of the Emberlight Sanctum's highest authority. His 'Inheritance' was now fully on her radar.