Three days later, Lin Ce was officially assigned to the Thirteenth Outer Unit of the Shadow Division,
the most perilous and marginal force within the Qingxiao Sect.
"This is not a place for rules,"
said their commanding officer — a sharp-eyed female cultivator named Tie Ling, no more than thirty years old,
yet already at the early Core Formation stage.
She swept a cold glance across the five members of the team:
"This is not your training arena.
This is not your ladder to glory.
You have only one duty—complete the mission and stay alive.
Fail, and don't bother returning."
With that, she tossed a talisman scroll in the air.
"Your first task — the Chiyun Ridge Disappearance.
You have three days to investigate.
A merchant convoy of the Qingyun Chamber was wiped out en route.
Five Foundation Establishment, two Qi Condensation cultivators.
Suspected involvement of demonic beasts."
Lin Ce received the scroll calmly.
He glanced at his four new "teammates" —
three women, one man — none familiar.
Their auras varied:
one with a savage expression and twin sabers across his back,
another frail in breath yet razor-sharp in gaze.
He knew — this wasn't a team.
It was a test.
Shen Changsheng once said:
"Until your footing is secure,
trust no one who calls you 'comrade'."
That night, before departure, Lin Ce secretly consumed a Shadow-Corrosion Pill, suppressing his spiritual signature down to a low-tier Qi Condensation level.
Not out of fear of death —
but fear of exposure.
He brought with him:
Four puppets,
Two jars of venomous insects,
A bone blade,
And two Spiritburst Talismans hidden between his fingers.
Chiyun Ridge.
The moon hung high, winds howled.
No corpses remained — only shredded trails and shattered wagon wheels.
The air stank of old blood.
"Demonic beasts?"
One team member squatted.
"No… more like wraiths. Soul-devouring types."
Lin Ce crouched, running fingers over a cracked patch of dried blood.
Then—his eyes narrowed.
"This blood… it's fake."
He quickly drew a spirit-revealing array,
disrupting the local qi field.
The "bloodstains" pulsed—
and morphed into formation runes.
"It's a trap," he said.
At that moment, cold winds howled around them.
"Hehehe…"
Four figures materialized from the woods — cloaked imposters reeking of death qi.
"Knew someone would come clean up."
"Kill them."
Lin Ce didn't hesitate.
He hurled a puppet to block pursuit,
and vanished into the shadows of the sidewoods.
As the first explosion boomed,
he caught a glimpse of the twin-saber brute engaging the attackers.
Then, out of nowhere,
the frail woman shot a shadow spell toward him.
Lin Ce smiled coldly.
"It begins."
He deployed a second puppet—triggered with a Spiritburst charm—
drawing enemy attention,
then cast a cloud of parasitic sand to force back the ambusher.
Chaos erupted.
But within it, Lin Ce moved like a ghost, untouched—
manipulating the battlefield, one step at a time.
When the dust settled:
Three attackers lay dead.
One fled.
The treacherous woman had lost an arm to one of his puppets.
His teammates were battered and bloodied.
Lin Ce?
A light cough, nothing more.
Upon returning, Tie Ling gave him a single glance.
"You killed two?"
"Yes."
"You set the trap?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"You're qualified."
Lin Ce bowed slightly.
Calm.
Neither arrogant nor meek.
[System Notification: You have completed 'First Battle – Shadow Division'.]
Title earned: "Hidden Blade"
Rewards:
Spiritual Awareness +1 Tier
Soul-Corrosion Needle ×1
Portable Storage Expanded
Shen Changsheng once wrote in Law No. 99:
"When those who live to survive choose to strike—
It must be clean.
It must be fatal."
That night, Lin Ce penned quietly in his battered notebook:
"Rule 99 — Tested and Confirmed."