The return of the expedition was an event that would be etched into the annals of the Verdant Serpent Sect for millennia. The sight of five thousand elite disciples marching back through the main gates, their storage rings overflowing with the plundered wealth of their ancient rival, sent a wave of euphoric shock through the entire sect. When the contents of the Blackwood Sect's treasury—the mountains of spirit stones, the racks of artifacts, the priceless pills and ancient texts—were finally unveiled in the main plaza, the sect erupted into a celebration that dwarfed the one so violently interrupted days earlier.
Wei, however, was conspicuously absent from the festivities. While his name was being chanted by grateful disciples and toasted by jubilant deacons, he was in a closed-door meeting in the highest chamber of the Palace of Verdant Skies. Only the most powerful figures in the sect were present: the First Elder, and Elders Jin, Mei, and Guan.
The First Elder, his face flushed with a vigor not seen in decades, reviewed the jade slips detailing the seized assets. "Elder Wei," he said, his voice filled with a profound, almost reverent respect, "what you have accomplished is... unprecedented. You have not just won a war; you have single-handedly elevated the foundation of this sect by centuries. The resources you've secured will allow us to nurture a generation of geniuses."
Wei gave a slight, dismissive wave of his hand. "I merely led the charge. The victory belongs to the disciples who fought bravely and the elders who secured the resource points." He looked at Jin, Mei, and Guan. "Their efforts were crucial."
His friends shifted uncomfortably. "Wei, you know as well as I do that this victory was yours," Jin rumbled, his usual stoicism tinged with awe. "My battle with Mo Wentian was a sideshow. The real war was won by your strategy before a single fist was thrown."
"Indeed," Mei added softly. "Your foresight saved us, and your plan delivered us a rival sect on a silver platter. There is no need for false modesty among us."
Wei knew that deflecting all credit would only make him seem suspicious. He had to accept the role of hero, at least publicly. "My methods are unorthodox, but they proved effective. The Blackwood Sect was rotten from the inside. I simply gave it a push." He then changed the subject, steering the conversation away from his personal achievements and towards the tedious but necessary logistics. "First Elder, the management of these new assets and the oversight of our new vassal sect will require a great deal of administrative effort."
The First Elder nodded. "It will. I intend to form a new council to manage the 'Blackwood Tribute'. As the architect of this victory, it is only right that you lead it."
This was the moment Wei had been anticipating. He immediately shook his head. "First Elder, I must respectfully decline. My Dao is the Dao of Poison. It is a path of solitude and quiet research. I am a scholar and a strategist, not a politician or a bureaucrat. My place is in my den, not in a council chamber. To chain me to a desk would be a waste of my talents and a disservice to the sect."
His refusal was so firm, so perfectly in line with his established, reclusive character, that the First Elder could not argue. Wei had just handed the sect a mountain of gold; to force him into a role he did not want would be seen as an insult.
"Very well," the First Elder conceded. "Your dedication to your craft is admirable. The council will be formed, but you will be exempt from its duties. However, the sect's debt to you is immeasurable. The treasury will allocate ten percent of all seized liquid assets directly to Silent Bloom Peak as a reward for your contributions. You may use it for your research as you see fit."
Ten percent. It was an astronomical sum, a fortune that could fund his research for the next five hundred years. It was also the perfect, legitimate cover for the even greater fortune he had secretly amassed in Sovereign Points.
With the meeting concluded, Wei retreated to the peace of his own peak, leaving the others to manage the chaotic but joyful task of integrating the new wealth. His friends followed him. In the privacy of his courtyard, their formal demeanors dropped.
"Are you insane?" Guan exclaimed, his boisterous nature returning. "You turned down a position of immense power! You could have been the second most powerful man in the sect!"
"Guan is right," Mei said, though her tone was more understanding. "Why would you shy away from the influence you have rightfully earned?"
Wei poured them tea, his movements calm and unhurried. "What is true power?" he asked rhetorically. "Is it sitting in a chair, arguing over budgets and territories? Or is it the ability to act, unseen and unhindered, to shape events from the shadows? They can have the titles and the meetings. I prefer to have my time."
Jin gave a rare, deep laugh. "He has a point. I would rather face a hundred beasts than sit through one of their budget meetings."
Wei had successfully navigated the treacherous waters of his own success. He had secured the profits without being burdened by the responsibilities. Now, he could finally focus on his own growth.
For the next month, a period of unprecedented prosperity and growth began for the Verdant Serpent Sect. New resources flooded the disciples, and breakthroughs that would have taken years were achieved in weeks. The sect was vibrant, powerful, and completely focused on its internal development.
And on Silent Bloom Peak, Wei was undergoing a transformation of his own.
He sealed his pagoda, informing his friends that he was entering a deep seclusion to digest the insights from his recent "expedition."
His first action was to activate his new function: the 'Domain of Silent Death'. He didn't need to practice it; the knowledge was simply integrated into his being. He sat in his den, and with a single thought, the domain expanded. It was not a visible phenomenon. There was no wave of energy, no change in the light. But Xiao Yu, his Jade-Eyed Shadow Serpent, who had been sleeping in the rafters, suddenly hissed and recoiled, its emerald eyes wide with primal fear. The very life force in the air within the domain was being subtly suppressed, creating an environment where only Wei could thrive. It was the perfect assassin's tool, a silent field of death that would weaken any enemy who stepped within it.
Next, he turned to the system store. The 'Mythical' category was still locked, but the 'Legendary' section was now fully open to him. He spent a full day browsing, his mind absorbing the descriptions of world-ending poisons, divine-grade artifacts, and techniques that could rewrite the laws of reality.
He made three carefully considered purchases.
First, for 25,000 points, he bought a cultivation technique called the 'Nine Transformations of the Venomous Soul'. It was a heretical art that taught the user how to refine their own Nascent Soul with the essence of powerful poisons, making it more potent, more resilient, and capable of devouring other spiritual entities to fuel its growth. It was a direct path to strengthening his soul for the breakthrough to the Spirit Emperor realm.
Second, for 50,000 points, he purchased an artifact that would change the very nature of his combat style. It was a set of one hundred and eight spiritual threads, not a technique to create them, but the threads themselves. They were called the 'Stygian Weaver's Silk'. Forged in the netherworld, these threads were indestructible, invisible to all but the most powerful spiritual senses, and could phase between the physical and ethereal planes. They were the ultimate tool for binding, ensnaring, and assassinating.
His final purchase was the most significant. For 70,000 points, he bought a single-use item from the 'Miscellaneous' category. It was a small, crystalline seed called the 'Seed of the World Tree'. According to the description, when implanted within a cultivator's spiritual sea and nurtured with immense energy, it would germinate into a 'Lesser World Tree', creating a stable, personal inner world. This pocket dimension, initially small, would grow along with the tree. It could be used to store items, but its most crucial function was its ability to manipulate the flow of time within its borders, allowing any spiritual herbs—especially those aligned with the owner's Dao—to grow at a vastly accelerated rate. It was an investment in his foundation, a way to create an endless, private supply of the rarest poisons.
With his purchases made, Wei began his true seclusion. He started by implanting the Seed of the World Tree. He focused his consciousness inward, to the vast, churning ocean of his spiritual sea where his Nascent Soul resided. He carefully placed the crystalline seed into the very center of the sea. Then, he began to pour his spiritual energy into it. It was like feeding a black hole. The seed consumed a staggering amount of energy, but slowly, it began to sprout. A tiny, shimmering sapling emerged, and as it did, the space around it warped and stabilized, forming a small, tangible island of reality within the chaos of his spiritual sea—his own private world, no bigger than his poison den, but it was a start.
He then began cultivating the 'Nine Transformations of the Venomous Soul'. He sat before his Cauldron of Myriad Venoms and began to feed it the most potent toxins he possessed. The cauldron refined them, not into energy, but into a pure, concentrated 'venom essence'. He then drew this essence into his body, guiding the agonizing, corrosive power directly into his Nascent Soul.
The process was excruciating. His soul felt as if it were being torn apart and remade, burned in a fire of pure venom. But with the protection of the 'Soul-Nourishing Chant' and his own indomitable will, he endured. With each transformation, his soul became darker, denser, and terrifyingly powerful.
Outside, the Verdant Serpent Sect celebrated its golden age. But deep within the sealed pagoda on Silent Bloom Peak, a being of unimaginable terror was being forged, his power growing in the silent darkness, preparing for the day when he would no longer be content with just being a king.