Night fell over the Crimson Serpent Sect like a velvet shroud, cloaking the sky in shadows laced with flickering starlight. From the outer peaks to the inner sanctum, the mountains pulsed with the quiet rhythm of cultivation—dreams fed by moonlight and spirit Qi… and schemes born in silence.
Within the Pavilion of Serpent's Spine, Su Chen sat in lotus position, unmoving, surrounded by six floating talismans. Each glowed faintly, runes etched in elegant script flickering with spiritual resonance.
> [Soul Mirror Resonance: 73% Synced]
[Echo Unlock: In Progress – Tier 1 Memory Imprint Forming]
He could feel it—like the breath of a sleeping dragon, the mirror's ancient will exhaling through the walls. It was old. Proud. Dangerous.
But now… it was beginning to accept him.
Or at least, respect him.
Then, without warning, the talismans flickered. Violently.
A chill wind swept through the chamber—sharp, cold, surgical. It sliced across his cheek like a knife.
Su Chen's eyes snapped open.
> [Warning: External Threat Detected – Qi Signature Suppressed]
[Assassination Attempt In Progress]
He moved.
A blade slashed down, cleaving the meditation mat in half.
Su Chen rolled, robes whispering against stone. He landed silently, crouched in the shadows.
From the rooftop, a masked figure descended like a phantom—robes dyed black with night-ink, twin curved daggers gleaming in his hands.
"You were supposed to die in your sleep," the assassin said, voice flat. "But I'm flexible."
Su Chen rose slowly.
No fire. No thunder. No dramatic gestures.
He simply tilted his head. "Ji Liang sent you?"
Silence. But the stillness said everything.
The assassin lunged.
Steel screamed through the air—
But Su Chen wasn't there.
He slipped behind the attacker, Qi dancing across his fingertips.
Mirror Pulse – Vibration Form.
A ripple of force struck the assassin's spine. The man staggered, nerves spasming.
"Fast," he growled.
But Su Chen was faster.
Voidflow Step activated—his body blurred, moving like shadow incarnate.
A strike to the ribs.
A palm to the chest.
An elbow to the jaw.
Blood sprayed. The assassin vanished in a mist-like teleport, a rare shadow technique.
But Su Chen already saw through it.
"You're not a cultivator," he said, voice calm. "You're a weapon."
The masked man tensed. "And you're a problem."
He leapt, this time cloaked in a forbidden art—dagger igniting with corrosive flame.
Su Chen didn't dodge.
He stepped forward, let the blade graze his side—pain blooming.
Blood spilled.
But in that instant, he grabbed the attacker's wrist.
And whispered:
"Reset."
> [Trigger Condition Met: Death or Near-Death – Manual Reset Approved]
[Checkpoint: One Hour Prior – Qi & Memory Retained]
Time twisted.
Reality bent.
Su Chen opened his eyes—still on the meditation mat. The assassin's blade mid-strike.
But this time, he was ready.
He caught the blade mid-air.
Mirror Pulse – Disruption Form.
The assassin's bones shook audibly. He lost balance.
Su Chen twisted his wrist, reversed the blade, and stabbed it deep into the attacker's shoulder.
The man howled, crumpling to one knee.
Su Chen leaned in.
"You already killed me once," he whispered. "That was your mistake."
And slammed his head into the floor.
Hard.
After binding the unconscious assassin in suppression talismans, Su Chen examined the robe.
No insignia.
But beneath the collarbone—a tattoo.
A three-eyed serpent.
> [System Note: Tattoo Identified – Third Serpent Brand – Ji Liang's Covert Disciplinary Arm]
So Ji Liang had his own hidden strike force.
And he'd sent one after Su Chen mere days into the inner sect.
Bold.
But reckless.
Because Su Chen didn't get mad.
He got even.
By morning, whispers spread like wildfire.
A masked cultivator was found hanging upside down from the tallest spirit tree near Ji Liang's compound.
Alive, but broken. Bound. Humiliated.
Pinned to his chest was a note:
> "Your fangs are too dull for this prey."
– S.C.
In his private residence, Ji Liang's wine cup shattered in his hand.
Across the sect, Elder Qingxue received a sealed report.
She scanned it once—then smiled.
"Already playing games with snakes?" she mused. "He's bolder than I thought."
She folded the letter and turned away.
"Good. Let's see how far he goes."
Back in the Serpent's Spine Pavilion, Su Chen sat once more before the Soul Mirror.
The surrounding runes glowed brighter—brimming with energy.
Then… a word echoed in his mind.
Not from the System.
Not from any technique.
Not from a voice at all.
But from the Mirror itself.
A whisper.
Reverent.
> "Worthy."