Deep within the mountains, hidden beneath the roots of the scorched forest, a silent cave pulsed with crimson light.
The walls were lined with beast cores—hundreds of them—glowing faintly like stars trapped beneath the earth. Fragments of spiritual jade flickered around the edges of an enormous lotus formation carved into the stone floor.
At its center sat Li Qiong, cross-legged on a floating lotus of green and blue, its translucent petals shimmering faintly.
Beneath him was a pool of blood—thick, dark, and alive. The lotus drew from it greedily, its roots piercing straight into Li Qiong's flesh, merging into his veins. Every pulse of the lotus sent a wave of agony through his body.
His muscles twisted, his skin burned bright red. Sweat, tears, and drool fell together, vanishing into the glowing pool beneath him. His veins bulged violently, crawling like serpents under his skin.
A normal man would have gone mad.Even a demon would have screamed.
But Li Qiong made no sound. His mouth hung open, but only silence came forth. His body shook uncontrollably, yet his mind remained still as a mirror.
"Not enough," he muttered through clenched teeth.
He grabbed a handful of vitality pills—ten at once—and swallowed them whole.
The pills burst within him, flooding his dantian with wild energy.Five drops of qi vanished instantly, consumed by the rampaging force.
Boom!His dantian exploded inward.Boom!Another shockwave tore through his body.
Every three seconds, his core detonated again, a rhythm of destruction and rebirth.
His blood boiled. His bones cracked and reforged themselves. Crimson steam poured from his pores.He kept stuffing more pills into his mouth, his hands trembling but unwavering.
Inside his body, black strands of stagnant qi shattered one after another, crushed beneath waves of crimson energy.The liquid light surged like a flood, sweeping away weakness, doubt, and pain.
One by one, the old strands dissolved—until twenty percent of them were gone.
Then—silence.
The energy spiraled inward. His body trembled.His dantian expanded.New drops of qi condensed, pure and bright as stars.
Thirty.Thirty complete drops of pure, stabilized qi.
Li Qiong gasped for air. His chest rose and fell heavily.
His hair, now darker and thicker, flowed down to his shoulders.His muscles were sculpted and hard as steel, veins glowing faintly with golden light. His very bones hummed with power and vitality.
He exhaled slowly, the breath carrying traces of blood and smoke.
When he looked around, the pool had dimmed.Every single pill was gone.
"Still not enough," he murmured, eyes glinting like molten and silver. "I'll need more."
He stood, drawing in spiritual energy from the shattered beast cores. Around him, the air turned cold, forming frost patterns that spread across the cave floor.
With a wave of his hand, blades of ice appeared—then spears, whips, and chains—all forged from his qi.They hovered in the air, circling him like silent spirits.
Li Qiong practiced, shaping and reshaping, testing every form with calm precision. The cave echoed with the whisper of frozen wind and clashing force.
Then—
The fox pendant at his neck shimmered.Its glow brightened, rippling like moonlight on water.
Before his eyes, the pendant shifted shape—into a small six-tailed white fox.
The creature blinked its sapphire eyes and yawned, looking up at him with a curious tilt of its head.
Li Qiong smiled faintly."You're awake too, little one."
He reached into his pouch, took a few leftover pills, and held them out.
The fox sniffed, then began nibbling happily, its tails waving gently like falling snow.
Li Qiong patted its head softly."Eat well. We have a long path ahead."
Outside the cave, the first drops of rain fell upon the charred forest.The ashes stirred faintly—and from within them, faint sprouts of life began to grow.
The next morning—
Sunlight spilled through the valley, clear and gentle.The hawk's cry echoed against the cliffs, cutting through the mist like a blade of gold.
Li Qiong stepped out from the cave, his robe fluttering softly.The white fox followed at his heel, while the hawk descended from the sky and landed upon his arm, wings spread wide.
He stroked its feathers."Good bird," he murmured.The hawk cawed lowly, showing it's affection.
Something was tied to its leg—a small roll of purple cloth sealed with gold thread.
Li Qiong untied it and unrolled the message.
The Third Prince had written again.
The capital was in turmoil.
The Crown Prince had stepped down from the throne, and chaos brewed among the factions.
Li Qiong's lips curved into a faint, cold smile."So… the clever one finally moves his piece."
He read on: the Crown Prince had reclaimed the former Crown Prince—a subtle political tactic meant to pressure the ministers and generals. The military backed him strongly, while the scholars, in turn, supported the Second Prince—a man of mystery, known for his poetry and mastery of painting, whom even the Crown Prince and former emporer feared yet never truly understood.
The ministers leaned toward the Fourth Prince, drawn by his promises of reform and wealth.The court was splitting into four tides—each hungering for dominance.
The Third Prince, feeling the tides turn against him, had written to Li Qiong seeking guidance once again.
Li Qiong looked at the letter for a long moment, then chuckled quietly.
He took out his brush and a small jade tablet, writing his reply with steady strokes.
"Keep influencing the soldiers under the generals. The Former First Prince has long abandoned ambition; he's not your concern. Focus on the army—their families, their loyalty. Recruit from distant villages, quietly and silently. Remove the spies from other factions. Hire assassins from Blood brothers, Night Phantom, Black Serpent —not to kill, but to annoy. Attack, break the doors and windows, vanish before the guards arrive. Break the servants' bones, throw in rotten meat and dead beasts in front of their manor. Let fear and anger settle in their manors, including your own. Then—Let them keep on blaming each other and make sure to mediate between them until the next full moon."
He signed it with his seal—a single black lotus.
The hawk extended its leg again, and Li Qiong tied the purple cloth back, feeding it a small strip of live fat tree worm.
The fox leapt onto a nearby rock, batting playfully at the hawk's tail. The hawk screeched in annoyance, wings flaring, while the fox dodged and laughed, its six tails sweeping like snow in the wind.
Li Qiong watched them for a while, expression unreadable, then turned toward the horizon where the sun burned crimson through the morning mist.
His true plan was to annoy the soldiers, guards and generals so they move on their own, while third prince put his people on his leash.