The Inner Sect of the Crimson Serpent Sect was a world apart from the dusty courtyards and rickety cauldrons of the outer disciples.
Here, spiritual pressure filled the air like fragrant mist. Towering jade pavilions floated on platforms suspended by formation arrays. Streams of liquefied Qi pulsed beneath the mountain's veins, nourishing ancient spirit trees and rare beasts. Even the birdsong carried intelligence, some echoing the notes of lost bloodlines.
Su Chen stood at the base of the Serpent's Spine Pavilion, the residence granted by Elder Qingxue's token.
> [New Zone Unlocked: Inner Sect – Mid-Tier Zone]
[Residence Acquired: Pavilion of Serpent's Spine]
[Monthly Resource Allowance: 10 mid-grade spirit stones, 3 spiritual herbs, 1 cauldron token]
The pavilion looked ancient, even neglected. Faded beams, dull array stones, a rusting gate.
But Su Chen's lips curved into a smile.
"Old bones," he murmured, his eyes scanning the moss-covered stones. "But old bones often hide deeper marrow."
He stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, he noticed it.
Silence.
Not peace—but the kind that pressed against the ears. Heavy. Watching.
The pavilion had five distinct chambers: a meditation room, a small training courtyard, a garden choked with thorns, a pill room with shattered shelves… and a sealed cellar, bound shut with rusting talismans covered in obscure symbols.
Most inner disciples would've reported the residence as defective.
Su Chen knelt beside the cellar entrance, studying the ancient scripts.
> [Formation Detected: Concealed Legacy Array – Degraded]
[System Option: Attempt Restoration? 1 System Point Required]
He hesitated.
That point could go toward a new technique—or a stat upgrade. But this place held stories. And buried stories often led to power.
"Do it."
> [System Point Expended]
[Array Restored: Partial Access Granted – Legacy Echo Unlocked]
A windless breeze swept through the chamber as the talismans crumbled into light. The cellar door creaked open.
Darkness awaited.
But it wasn't empty.
It pulsed, like a heartbeat echoing through time.
Su Chen descended, his right hand wrapped in protective Qi. The air thickened. Pressure coiled around his soul.
At the center of the cellar, half-buried in dust and aura residue, lay a round mirror, bound in chains etched with formation runes.
> [Object Identified: Soul Mirror of the Forgotten Sovereign – Fragmented]
"A Soul Mirror?" Su Chen muttered, stepping cautiously.
The chains rattled.
And then—a voice, not heard but felt, like ice threading through his spirit.
"Another worm crawling to beg my secrets. Good. Come closer. I hunger."
Su Chen's spine stiffened.
This wasn't a legacy tool. It held a will. A consciousness.
And it was not friendly.
Elsewhere, word spread through the Inner Sect like wildfire.
"Su Chen? He's in Qingxue's broken pavilion?"
"Fitting. Trash in a haunted house."
"Didn't the last disciple there go mad?"
On a high balcony overlooking the upper terrace, Ji Liang sipped wine and smirked.
"He thinks he's rising," he said to the stoic young man standing beside him—Xue Han, his old training companion.
"But all he's done is step into a grave."
Xue Han nodded. "Want me to handle him?"
Ji Liang swirled his wine. "No. Let the house do the work."
Back in the cellar, Su Chen remained still.
The Soul Mirror pulsed, its will tugging on his spirit threads, whispering forbidden things.
But Su Chen had seen temptation before.
So he didn't step forward.
He sat down. Calm. Intentional.
And opened the System panel.
> [Warning: Soul Mirror has Partial Sentience – Engaging may result in spiritual backlash.]
[Option: Begin Binding Protocol – Time Required: 3 Days]
[Result: Unlock Mirror Memory Echoes (Tier 1 Access)]
He smiled faintly.
"Then we'll do it the slow way," he whispered. "You want a host. I want your secrets. We'll both wait."
The mirror pulsed again. This time… almost amused.
Hours later, Su Chen stood beneath the cold stars in the training courtyard.
He activated Voidflow Step, darting between shadows with liquid grace, then unleashed Mirror Pulse, its energy cracking through the air.
Each movement burned through his meridians, but he welcomed the pain.
> [Technique Proficiency Increased: Mirror Pulse – Level 2]
Sweat soaked his back. His breath came sharp and ragged.
But he didn't stop.
Because he could already sense it—the game was shifting again.
Elder Qingxue had opened a door.
But she would not hold it open forever.
Ji Liang was already maneuvering.
And now… the Soul Mirror was watching.
All Su Chen had were time, talent, and resets.
But that was more than enough.