The midnight bell echoed across the academy grounds, sharp as a blade. Mist crept low over the stone walkways, veiling the towers and courtyards like a silken shroud. Most students had long retired to their quarters.
But Xie Lan stood awake, barefoot on the edge of the Eastern Cliff, the wind snapping at his robes.
> [Quest Activated: Infiltrate the Forbidden Archive] Objective: Uncover the identity of the Academy's traitor Difficulty: High Time Limit: Before dawn
The map shimmered faintly in the corner of his vision, marking a narrow path behind the Spirit Hall. Guarded. Sealed. Hidden beneath the ancient Banyan Tree.
A challenge.
And he would meet it.
---
[Location: Inner Courtyard – Spirit Hall Back Entrance]
The guards were not ordinary disciples. Elite wardens clad in reinforced spirit armor, with talismans glowing along their collars. Each one trained to sense Qi fluctuations and crush infiltrators without mercy.
Xie Lan crouched in the shadows of a stone lantern, the Shadow Cloak active. His presence muffled. His breath shallow.
He counted three guards.
And then moved.
His body slipped through the air like smoke. The first guard turned but not fast enough. Xie Lan's palm struck his neck, twisting slightly. A silent collapse.
The second raised a hand to warn...too late.
Xie Lan slid under his blow, swept the legs, and elbowed him in the gut. The air rushed from his lungs.
The third drew his blade. "Intrud..."
A dagger flew, silent and perfect.
It embedded in the man's throat. He dropped, gurgling, eyes wide.
> [Combat Complete: 3 Elite Wardens Defeated] Villain Points +15 Hidden Pathway Unlocked: Banyan Root Descent
Xie Lan exhaled. He stepped toward the roots of the ancient tree and pressed the Yue medallion against the carved stone.
The tree shimmered.
A hidden staircase spiraled down into the earth.
---
[Location: The Forbidden Archive – Subterranean Level]
The air smelled of mildew, old paper, and blood.
Rows of jade tablets and ancient scrolls stretched into the dark. Flames hovered above each aisle, pulsing with spiritual energy. And in the distance… a whisper.
Not human.
Xie Lan stepped forward. His Qi buzzed around him defensively.
Then—a blur.
A shape crashed from the ceiling. Cloaked in black, blades in each hand, eyes glowing red behind a spirit mask.
The Academy's hidden enforcer.
"You don't belong here," the figure said.
Xie Lan drew his blade. "Neither do secrets."
The assassin lunged, twin sabers flashing.
Sparks burst as steel met steel. Xie Lan twisted, using the Phantom Flames technique, his blade erupting with black-blue fire. It clashed with the enemy's spiritual armor, searing the air.
The assassin backflipped, hurled three talismans
> [Warning: High-Level Spiritual Seal Detected]
Xie Lan activated Shadow Lotus, his figure splitting into three flickering illusions. The talismans struck shadows.
He appeared behind the enemy.
Blade at the neck.
"You're late," Xie Lan said coldly.
Slash.
The assassin's head rolled across the stone.
> [Enemy Eliminated: Rank – Gold] New Item Acquired: Whispering Token (Verified) Archive Access Granted
---
[Moments Later – Inner Chamber]
The token floated above an old stone pedestal. The seal broke with a whisper.
Inside lay three scrolls:
1. Record of the Yue Clan's Banishment
2. Secret Lineages of the Royal Blood
3. The Forbidden Pact of the Crown Prince
Xie Lan's hands trembled.
He opened the third scroll.
And the truth cut deeper than any sword.
> "Crown Prince Xie Yan, by imperial edict and blood ritual, has sealed his soul to the Flame of Judgment. In exchange, he is to eliminate all threats to the Mandate—including his brother, Xie Lan."
The script burned.
So it had been decreed his death was a divine command.
And now he understood: to survive, he must not only rebel.
He must destroy the throne.
---
[Flashback – Ten Years Ago, Royal Gardens]
A younger Xie Lan knelt beside his mother, watching her tend to the orchids. She was smiling, her hands gentle but worn.
"Always water from the roots, Lan'er," she said. "Even beauty needs strong roots to survive."
He had nodded, reaching forward to touch a petal.
"Do you think Father will ever walk the garden with us?" he had asked.
Her smile had faltered.
"He used to," she whispered. "Before the shadows grew in his heart."
---
[Present – Forbidden Archive, Exit Pathway]
A sound.
Dozens of boots approaching.
Xie Lan whirled as light spilled into the stairwell. More wardens. And behind them, a robed elder with a golden scepter, the Head of Discipline.
"Seize him!" the elder bellowed.
Xie Lan's blade danced.
He met the first wave with raw ferocity. Each strike a blur. The air filled with crackling spirit energy as talismans burst around him. He countered with Phantom Flames, slicing through enchanted armor.
> [Mini-Boss Engaged: Elder of Law – Disciple Rank: Peak Core]
The elder unleashed a binding array.
Chains of light surged.
But Xie Lan roared. "Flame of Ghostfire, Awaken!"
His spiritual energy exploded outward.
The chains shattered.
He stepped through the fire. The elder froze, too late.
Xie Lan's blade pierced his chest.
> [Elder Defeated. Warning: Imperial Edict Violation Detected. Escape Required.]
Alarms blared.
He vanished into the smoke.
---
The rain had not stopped since dawn. Fat droplets pounded the stone tiles of the Imperial Martial Academy like the steady beating of a war drum. Every student knew something had shifted in the air, though none could name it. The sky itself felt heavier, as if it mourned something unseen.
Xie Lan stood at the edge of a collapsed wall overlooking the Southern Practice Fields. His robes were soaked, but he did not care. His body bore fresh wounds, his qi lines frayed from the night's battles. Still, he did not rest. Not yet.
His fingers clutched the forbidden scrolls beneath his sleeve.
> [System Notification: Quest Objective Completed – Forbidden Archive Breach] Villain Points: +120 | Infamy Increased Warning: Imperial Inquisitors En Route
The time for quiet rebirth was over.
---
[Location: Jade Court – Secret Gathering of the Crown Faction]
Crown Prince Xie Yan's chambers were unusually quiet. Gone were the perfumed nobles and drunken cousins. Tonight, the prince entertained only one guest, his uncle by marriage, Lord Yue Feng, patriarch of the once-exiled Yue Clan.
The two men sat in the shadows, a chessboard between them. Pieces carved from obsidian and pearl reflected the flickering lantern light.
"You played poorly this time, Yan'er," Lord Yue said.
"I underestimated him," Xie Yan admitted. His eyes were sharp, not humbled. "But he still bleeds. That's all I need."
"Bleeding dogs bite the hardest," the old man murmured.
Xie Yan's gaze narrowed.
"You fear him?"
Lord Yue set a pearl piece on the board. "I fear no one. But I respect fate. Your brother walks a path once denied to our clan. A cursed bloodline born from betrayal. You cannot cut him down with politics alone."
"Then I'll use fire."
"No," Yue Feng said. "You'll use the Blood Oath."
---
[Location: Forgotten Shrine – Outside Jadefall Province]
That same night, Xie Lan rode through the mountain pass beneath a shroud of storm clouds, his horse soaked and wild-eyed. Behind him galloped Yao Qing, and three others he had quietly recruited—disciples overlooked and underestimated.
"We're almost there," Yao Qing shouted through the wind. "The shrine's just beyond the ghost trees!"
Xie Lan gritted his teeth. They needed to reach it before the Crown Prince's spies.
He had read the scroll again and again. The truth of the Yue Clan. Of his mother. Of the ritual that tied his fate to his brother's.
He needed answers.
The shrine appeared suddenly a half-crumbled temple carved into the mountainside, its roof collapsed, its walls wrapped in vines. But the sigils on the stones still glowed faintly in the dark.
Xie Lan leapt from his horse.
They entered.
---
[Within the Shrine – The Binding Circle]
The scent of burnt incense still lingered. An ancient altar sat at the center, carved with the sigil of the Moon Serpent.
Yao Qing lit a lantern. "Are you sure about this?"
Xie Lan pulled the scroll from his sleeve. "It's the only way. The blood oaths must be unsealed."
He stepped into the circle, slit his palm, and pressed it against the altar.
The sigils erupted in violet fire.
An illusion shimmered to life.
A younger Emperor Xie Rui stood with a woman—Xie Lan's mother. They held hands, bound by red silk. At their feet, a basin filled with twin drops of blood. A vow.
> "If our child is born with the mark, he shall carry both legacy and curse. To protect him, the other must destroy him. Only then can the Mandate endure."
Xie Lan staggered back. Yao Qing caught him.
"The Emperor… he knew," he said. "He made her give me up."
---
[Back at the Capital – Imperial Hall of Rites]
Emperor Xie Rui watched the flames dance in his brazier.
"He knows," he murmured.
Beside him, Grand Chancellor Huai paled. "Your Majesty—what will you do?"
"I will let the prophecy unfold," the Emperor said. "If he can break it, then perhaps he deserves to sit on my throne."
---
[Three Days Later – Border Fortress, Night Raid]
Xie Lan led a covert mission to intercept a Crown courier. The fortress was small but heavily guarded. Within its walls lay the second Lunar Key—an artifact needed to unlock his mother's full legacy.
He struck like lightning.
Using the Shadow Cloak, he and his allies bypassed the outer watchmen. The inner barracks, however, stood ready. A trap.
From the walls descended a masked warrior wielding a chain blade infused with spirit fire.
"You're no prince here," the man hissed. "You're prey."
Xie Lan met him head-on.
Their blades clashed, igniting bursts of energy that split stone and scattered sparks. The warrior used wide, punishing strikes, aiming to cripple.
Xie Lan ducked low, slicing the man's ribs, then leapt over a fireblast, flipping backward onto the roof tiles.
"Who sent you?" he growled.
The man grinned. "Your brother sends his regards."
A talisman exploded behind Xie Lan, sending him flying. His back struck a wall.
But he rose.
He activated the Ancestral Soul Flame.
His blade burned white-hot.
He surged forward, broke the enemy's guard, and struck—severing arm from shoulder.
The warrior fell.
> [Enemy Elite Defeated – Lunar Key Retrieved]
Yao Qing rushed over. "You're bleeding."
"I'll live," Xie Lan said, holding the glowing key. "But the Crown Prince… won't."
The moon hung low in the sky like a watching eye, shrouded behind pale clouds that whispered across the heavens. Beyond the border fortress, deeper into the cursed mountains of Qingli Pass, lay a path few dared tread.
It was there that the wind sang of spirits and old blood.
Xie Lan stood at the edge of the path, the Lunar Key glowing in his palm. His wounds ached, but the fire in his soul burned brighter than ever.
Yao Qing tightened the straps on his traveling cloak. "Are you sure this tomb is real?"
"It's not just real," Xie Lan said. "It was built by the first moon priestess to protect the truth of my mother's bloodline."
They descended.
---
[Location: Valley of Broken Moonlight]
The valley was eerily quiet. No birds, no beasts. Only twisted trees and jagged cliffs encircling a basin of shattered stones.
At its center stood an ancient monument: a moon-shaped obelisk etched with celestial script. The ground around it was overgrown, but when Xie Lan held up the key, the soil trembled.
> [System Notice: Secret Realm Entrance Detected – Unsealing with Lunar Key... Success.]
A hole opened beneath the monument, revealing stone steps that glowed faintly with moonlight.
Yao Qing stepped back. "A realm hidden underground… this is cultivation at its peak."
"Not cultivation," Xie Lan said. "Blood legacy."
---
[Location: The Hidden Tomb of the Moon Empress]
The tomb was vast. Walls of silver and obsidian reflected light in every direction. Statues of moon priestesses stood guard, their hollow eyes weeping streaks of white quartz.
In the center stood a sarcophagus made of spirit glass.
Inscribed on its lid: Here lies She Who Sealed the Curse. Only He Who Bears the Mark May Awaken Her Memory.
Xie Lan stepped forward and placed his palm on the glass.
His cursed sigil burned.
Light erupted.
An illusion sprang to life.
It was her—his mother. Dressed in moon robes, her voice soft as drifting snow.
> "My son. If you have come this far, then you know the truth. The Yue Clan did not betray the Empire. We were betrayed. The Mandate was poisoned by greed. And you, my son—you carry the power to restore or to destroy."
She turned.
> "You are my final oath."
The image faded. In its place, the tomb released a hidden compartment.
Inside:
A Spirit Core infused with ancestral qi
A blade forged from the bones of a moon dragon
A letter, sealed with her personal crest
Xie Lan opened it slowly.
> "If the Emperor still sits on his throne when you read this, then he has chosen power over love. He has chosen fear over blood. You must choose differently. Or become like him."
He closed his eyes.
Yao Qing whispered, "What will you do?"
Xie Lan sheathed the moon dragon blade.
"I will not destroy the Empire," he said. "Not yet."
"I will conquer it."
---
[Meanwhile – Imperial Capital, Inner Court of Scribes]
Crown Prince Xie Yan sat beside a sacred mirror.
The monks had begun the chant. His reflection shimmered, revealing glimpses of Xie Lan's movements.
"He has entered the tomb," the head monk said. "And awakened the inheritance."
The prince's face darkened.
"Then we must awaken ours."
He slit his palm, dripping blood into the basin.
The flames of judgment roared.
---
[Later – Ascent from the Tomb]
As Xie Lan and his party climbed back toward the open sky, the tomb began to collapse.
Ancient mechanisms triggered. The path sealed behind them.
Yao Qing stumbled. Rubble tumbled.
A statue fell.
Xie Lan caught her, then leapt across a widening chasm, the others scrambling after him.
They escaped just as the entire valley trembled.
Behind them, the tomb vanished—sealed once more by the spirits.
---
[At Camp That Night – Secret Grove]
They built a small fire. Yao Qing cooked dried meat while Xie Lan examined the moon dragon blade.
Its edge pulsed. It seemed to hum in his grasp.
> [New Weapon Acquired: Lunar Bone Sabre – Soul-Bound Artifact] Stats: Increases agility and spirit penetration; unlocks advanced flame techniques
Xie Lan tested it on a nearby tree. With one stroke, it cut through the trunk like butter. The tree fell without a sound.
He exhaled.
Yao Qing sat beside him. "You're no longer the same person you were at the Academy gates."
"I can't afford to be."
> [New System Title Earned: Heir of the Moon Empress] Alignment Shift: From Neutral Evil to Calculating Chaotic Neutral
Xie Lan closed his eyes.
In the distance, the stars trembled.
He had begun to write his own legend.
And the Empire would soon bleed for it.
---
Rain had returned to the Empire, but this time, it felt different—thicker, heavier, almost metallic. The skies wept not with sorrow, but with a warning.
Far beyond the lush riverlands of the eastern province, two figures stood across from each other in a wide clearing, surrounded by jagged rocks and the remnants of a crumbled shrine. The earth between them had been scorched from earlier clashes, steam still rising from the cracks.
One wore black robes, soaked and clinging to his skin, his silver-lined sabre glowing faintly at his side.
Xie Lan.
The other, a towering figure in deep crimson armor, bore twin scimitars etched with runes that shimmered with bloodlight. His face was hidden behind a serpent mask, his aura pulsing with killing intent.
No words were exchanged. They had already spoken through blades.
> [Boss Fight: Crimson Warden – Peak Core Stage Cultivator] Objectives: Survive. Defeat. Learn.
The Warden lunged first. His movement was terrifyingly fast. The earth cracked beneath his feet. Xie Lan barely sidestepped as one scimitar came down in a vertical arc, slicing the air with a high-pitched screech.
Wind exploded outward.
Xie Lan countered with Phantom Flame Steps, weaving his body like smoke. The moment the second blade came swinging horizontally, he spun and used the Lunar Bone Sabre to deflect it sparks exploded at the impact.
The Warden pressed forward.
Xie Lan ducked under a vicious slash, slid between the Warden's legs, then sprang upward, launching a Flame Needle from his palm. It struck the man's chest—but the armor absorbed it.
> [Armor Type: Bloodforged Spirit Scale – Weak Point: Back Spine Joint]
The system's voice was calm, clinical.
Xie Lan gritted his teeth. I need him to overextend.
He feinted a left strike. The Warden parried, and Xie Lan twisted, allowing himself to be hit across the ribs. Pain exploded through his side but it gave him the angle he needed.
He stabbed upward.
The Lunar Bone Sabre slid between the spirit plates. Blood hissed into the air.
The Warden howled, staggering back. For the first time, his footing broke.
Xie Lan did not relent. He surged forward, blade dancing. Left slash, right feint, downward sweep
The Warden roared, swinging wildly. Xie Lan leapt, flipped, and landed behind him.
He drove his blade into the back of the man's neck.
A loud crack echoed.
Then silence.
The Warden collapsed forward into the mud.
> [Boss Defeated: Crimson Warden] Villain Points +200 | Reward Acquired: Bloodforged Spirit Scale Armor
Xie Lan fell to his knees, panting.
Rain fell harder now, mingling with the steam rising from his overheated blade.
He had won.
But something stirred.
---
[Elsewhere – Capital City: Crown Prince's Quarters]
Crown Prince Xie Yan stood in front of a mirror, drenched in red silk. Behind him, Li Meiyan adjusted her robes, her fingers brushing against his back.
"I felt it," she whispered. "You did too, didn't you?"
He turned. "The Crimson Warden has fallen."
Her eyes widened. "Then Xie Lan..."
"He's grown faster than I calculated," Xie Yan murmured. "Too fast."
He reached for her wrist and pulled her to him. Their lips met—not gently, but with a kind of quiet desperation.
She pulled back, breathless. "What if he comes for me?"
Xie Yan's eyes burned. "Let him. I'll kill him before he gets the chance."
---
[Later That Night – Border Camp]
Xie Lan lay inside his tent, shirtless, his torso bandaged by Yao Qing's trembling hands.
"You should rest," Yao Qing said.
"I will."
"You nearly died back there."
Xie Lan's hand gently touched Yao Qing's wrist. "But I didn't."
Yao Qing looked up, meeting his eyes.
For a moment, the world was quiet. The rain, the wind, the distant soldiers all faded.
"You scare me sometimes," Yao Qing whispered.
Xie Lan brushed his thumb across Yao Qing's cheek.
"Then stay close," he murmured. "So you can watch me."
Their lips met—softly, hesitantly, like a question waiting to be answered.
And when it deepened, when Xie Lan's hand moved to cradle the back of Yao Qing's neck, the kiss became a promise.
> [Affection Points Gained: Yao Qing – +15] New Bond Established: Trusted Companion
Outside, the storm raged.
But inside that tent, there was only warmth.
Only breath.
Only two hearts daring to hope.