The wind had no sound that night.
Not the rustle of leaves, nor the song of crickets. The Sect of Broken Stars was unusually still—as if the heavens themselves held their breath.
Lin Xuan stood alone atop the southern cliff, where the stars burned faintest and the fog from the mountains clung like death shrouds.
His black robe fluttered gently. In his eyes, the glow of chaos remained calm, unwavering.
He had broken through to Foundation Building—but he knew it wouldn't matter if he lost here.
Because she had arrived.
---
Arrival of the Blood Veil Envoy
The mist parted as if it feared her.
She emerged like a phantom—tall, robed in blood-red silk, a veil covering her eyes. No footsteps. No heartbeat. Yet her presence made the ground crack beneath her.
Her blade: curved, forged from hardened blood and soul essence, whispered in tongues no mortal should hear.
"Lin Xuan," she said, her voice calm, melodic—and cold enough to freeze oceans. "You defied the heavens once. Now you'll offer your soul as penance."
"I don't bow to the heavens," he replied. "I tear them down."
She didn't answer. Instead, she raised her sword—and struck.
---
Battle Begins – Crimson Moon Technique
The world exploded in red.
Her sword unleashed a wave of soul-killing force—a technique known as Crimson Moon Decapitation, capable of tearing through most Foundation Stage cultivators in a single stroke.
But Lin Xuan had already moved.
Chaos Step.
He vanished into black lightning, reappearing at her flank, launching Chaos Fist of Ruin—a blow that shook the cliffside.
She parried with terrifying grace, countering with a spinning slash that tore a gash across Lin Xuan's chest.
Blood sprayed.
The Envoy tilted her head. "Your body is tough. Stronger than most Foundation cultivators already. But your soul…"
She thrust forward—and Lin Xuan felt her qi pierce his spiritual defenses, aiming directly for his core.
---
Chaos Core Reacts
The Chaos Core flared.
Suddenly, a black shield of energy erupted from within Lin Xuan, intercepting her soul attack. Her blade screeched against it.
[Soul Barrier Activated – 40% Mitigation]
[Chaos Refinement Method Engaged – Absorbing Tainted Qi…]
A moment of surprise flickered across the Envoy's face. "You… can absorb my essence?"
"Yes," Lin Xuan muttered. "And feed it to chaos."
His aura surged.
Dark tendrils shot from his body, absorbing the corrupted qi swirling around the Envoy. Her blood blade dimmed slightly.
---
The Counterattack
Lin Xuan roared, his Chaos Core pulsing violently.
Stars above shimmered in tandem, and the broken formation deep beneath the sect's grounds reacted once again.
He raised both hands—summoning celestial and chaotic energy into a swirling black-and-gold sphere.
"Celestial Chaos Burst!"
He hurled it.
The impact was devastating. The sky above cracked with thunder as the wave engulfed her. Earth shattered. Trees disintegrated. Even the clouds recoiled.
When the dust cleared, the Envoy stood still—but blood now leaked from beneath her veil.
Her blade was cracked.
"You… truly are him reborn," she said softly. "Then I will kill you as I killed your past self."
---
Final Exchange
She removed her veil.
Her eyes glowed—red, pure, burning with soul fire.
"Blood Soul Overdrive."
Her entire body burst into flame, her aura doubling. Triple. A suicidal technique that burned her life for one final strike.
She vanished—too fast to follow.
SLASH!
Her blade pierced through Lin Xuan's left shoulder, erupting from his back.
But he didn't fall.
He smiled.
"Got you."
He reached up and grasped her arm—dark energy surging from his palm into her body.
[Chaos Refinement Method: Maximum Draw Initiated]
[Absorbing Hostile Core Essence…]
She screamed as her foundation collapsed from within.
Her own soul essence—the energy she relied on to kill—was turned against her.
In seconds, she fell limp, her blade crumbling into ash.
---
Victory
Lin Xuan stood over her fading body, breathing hard.
[Battle Complete: Blood Veil Envoy Eliminated]
[Chaos Core Evolution: 79% → 93%]
[New Skill Acquired: Blood Veil Sword Art – Fragmented Technique]
[Title Unlocked: Chaos Slayer – Immune to soul corruption from enemies below your stage]
The stars twinkled overhead—brighter than before.
But Lin Xuan didn't smile.
He simply turned and walked away, blood dripping behind him, eyes already scanning the future.
---
Elsewhere – In the Celestial Realm
A man in white robes stood before a heavenly mirror.
He watched Lin Xuan through the veil of space.
"So, the chaos returns…" he whispered. "But will it rise… or consume everything?"
---
[Next Quest Unlocked: Unravel the Secrets of the Celestial Formation – Find the Forgotten Pillar]
Optional Objective: Master the Blood Veil Sword Art – 1/4 Fragments Acquired
Time Limit: 14 Days Before Heavenly Tribunals Take Notice
Warning: Interference from the Upper Realms Imminent