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Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Hidden Depths (II)

After the dormitories quieted, he activated Shadow Meld and slipped out of his room. The ability was remarkable. His body didn't become invisible so much as it merged with the natural shadows, making him effectively undetectable to anyone not specifically looking with advanced spiritual senses.

[SHADOW MELD: ACTIVE]

[DETECTION PROBABILITY: <5% by Qi Gathering cultivators]

[DETECTION PROBABILITY: 30% by Foundation Building cultivators]

[DURATION: Until canceled or energy depleted]

He moved through the sect grounds like a ghost, following the pulse of Rong Wei's death mark. The desperate disciple was meeting with three others behind the weapon storage building, all outer disciples Kai vaguely recognized.

"Tonight's our only chance," Rong Wei was saying. "The guard rotation changes at midnight. There's a fifteen-minute window where the storage pavilion is unwatched."

"What about formations?" one of the others asked nervously.

"I studied them. There's a blind spot on the eastern wall. We go in, grab what we can, get out. Five minutes maximum."

[DEATH PROBABILITY UPDATE]

[RONG WEI: 89%]

[ACCOMPLICE 1: 82%]

[ACCOMPLICE 2: 76%]

[ACCOMPLICE 3: 68%

All four were likely to die tonight. Kai positioned himself in the shadows near the medicine storage pavilion and waited.

The theft went exactly as poorly as expected.

Rong Wei's group successfully bypassed the outer formation using their blind spot. They entered the pavilion through a window. For about three minutes, everything went according to their plan.

Then the alarm formations activated.

Apparently, the blind spot was bait, a test left by the sect to identify thieves. The moment Rong Wei touched the medicine containers inside, every formation in the building lit up like fireworks.

Guards arrived within seconds. Senior disciples within a minute.

Kai watched from the shadows as Rong Wei's group tried to flee. Two were caught immediately. The third made it to the outer wall before an inner disciple's sword strike took him down, not killed, but badly wounded.

Rong Wei himself almost escaped. He was at the eastern wall, about to jump, when Senior Disciple Chen Yun appeared.

"Going somewhere, Outer Disciple Rong?"

The fight lasted maybe ten seconds. Chen Yun's Foundation Building cultivation was leagues beyond Rong Wei's Qi Gathering Second Stage. A single palm strike sent Rong Wei crashing to the ground, his cultivation base severely damaged.

"Punishment cells," Chen Yun ordered. "All four of them. We'll decide their fate in the morning."

The unconscious disciples were dragged away. Kai remained in the shadows, using Death Vision to track them.

[DEATH MARK UPDATE]

[RONG WEI: Severely wounded, cultivation damaged, 94% death probability within 24 hours]

[ACCOMPLICES: Various injuries, 60-75% death probability within 48 hours]

The punishment cells. Kai knew from his previous visit that disciples sent there rarely survived their sentences. Either they died from injuries, were sent to the mines where they died from labor, or simply disappeared.

These four would likely be dead within a day or two. Kai just needed to be present when it happened.

He returned to his room, deactivated Shadow Meld, and lay down as if he'd never left. The night's events would be all over the sect by morning. Four disciples caught stealing, facing severe punishment.

And when they died, Kai would harvest their death energy to fuel his advancement.

[SHADOW ENERGY: 102/150]

[DEATH POINTS: 1,656]

[MARKED TARGETS: 3 active]

[ESTIMATED DEATH ENERGY AVAILABLE: 180-240 points within 48 hours]

The system was turning the sect's harsh punishment system into a cultivation resource. Every disciple who failed, who broke rules, who died from the sect's trials, all of them were potential fuel for Kai's growth.

It was efficient. Cold. And undeniably effective.

As Kai drifted toward sleep, he wondered briefly if this was what the system warning had meant. Death cultivation wasn't making him evil or cruel like Zhao Ming. It was making him pragmatic. Detached. Able to view death as a resource rather than a tragedy.

Was that better or worse?

He didn't have an answer. But he did know that in the cultivation world, sentimentality was a luxury he couldn't afford.

Morning brought the expected uproar.

"Did you hear? Four outer disciples tried to steal from the medicine pavilion!"

"Rong Wei and his group. They got caught by the formations."

"Senior Disciple Chen Yun personally captured them. They're in the punishment cells now."

"Stupid. Everyone knows you can't steal from the sect and get away with it."

Kai listened to the gossip during morning training, maintaining an expression of appropriate shock and disapproval. Internally, he was tracking Rong Wei's death mark. The injured disciple was fading fast, his damaged cultivation base unable to sustain his injuries.

Estimated time until death: 8-12 hours.

During the afternoon meditation session, Kai requested permission to visit the punishment cells.

"Why?" Senior Disciple Chen Yun asked suspiciously.

"This junior was assigned there before, Senior Disciple. This junior thought perhaps the guards might need help again." Kai kept his voice humble. "Also, this junior knows Rong Wei slightly. This junior hoped to understand why he did something so foolish."

Chen Yun studied him for a long moment, then shrugged. "Fine. But don't interfere with the prisoners. Just help the guards if they need it."

Permission granted, Kai made his way to the punishment cells.

The building was as grim as he remembered. Inside, the four thieves occupied separate cells. Three were conscious and terrified. Rong Wei was unconscious, his breathing shallow and irregular.

[DEATH SENSE: ACTIVE]

[RONG WEI: 6-8 hours until death]

[ACCOMPLICE 1: Stable but facing execution tomorrow]

[ACCOMPLICE 2: Stable but facing execution tomorrow]

[ACCOMPLICE 3: Seriously wounded, 40% death probability within 24 hours]

The guard on duty barely acknowledged Kai. He was an outer disciple assigned punishment duty, clearly bored and uninterested in watching condemned criminals.

Kai found a corner where he could "meditate" while actually monitoring Rong Wei's condition with Death Vision. The hours passed slowly. Other disciples came and went, sect officials reviewing the prisoners, healers checking vital signs without actually healing, administrative disciples recording everything for the sect's records.

No one paid attention to the quiet outer disciple meditating in the corner.

As afternoon turned to evening, Rong Wei's breathing grew more labored. The death mark pulsed more urgently. Any moment now.

[DEATH IMMINENT: 5-10 minutes]

Kai positioned himself where he could observe while appearing to meditate. His shadow energy was ready to activate Soul Harvest the moment death occurred.

Rong Wei's final breath came quietly. No dramatic last words, no great revelation. Just a desperate disciple who'd gambled everything and lost, dying alone in a cell.

[NATURAL DEATH DETECTED]

[RONG WEI: DECEASED]

[ABSORBING DEATH ENERGY...]

The energy flowed into Kai like a cold stream. Not as strong as killing a cultivator in combat, natural death provided less energy than violent death, but still significant.

[DEATH ENERGY ABSORBED: 45 points]

[DEATH POINTS GAINED: 30]

[TOTAL DEATH POINTS: 1,686]

The guard noticed moments later. "Hey, I think this one's dead."

A healer arrived, confirmed the death, and had the body removed. The incident was recorded as "died from injuries sustained during capture", which was technically accurate.

The other three prisoners watched with hollow eyes, knowing they'd likely follow Rong Wei soon.

Kai remained in his meditation pose for another hour, then quietly left. Another successful harvest with no suspicion drawn.

[DAILY SUMMARY]

[DEATHS HARVESTED: 1]

[DEATH ENERGY GAINED: 45 points]

[COVER MAINTAINED: Intact]

[REMAINING MARKED TARGETS: 2 active, 3 condemned prisoners unmarked]

As Kai walked back to the dormitories, he calculated his resources and options. With 1,686 Death Points, he could advance to Qi Gathering Second Stage easily. But the question was timing.

The monthly evaluation was in six days. If he advanced too quickly before then, it would raise questions. But if he waited too long, he might miss opportunities to secure a better position.

[SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION]

[ADVANCE TO QI GATHERING SECOND STAGE: 3 days before evaluation]

[PUBLIC STORY: "Stabilized foundation allowed natural advancement"]

[CONTINUE HARVESTING DEATH ENERGY: Sect provides consistent supply]

That made sense. Show steady, believable progress while his true power grew much faster in secret.

Back in his room, Kai reviewed the system's full status:

[SHADOW SOVEREIGN SYSTEM - COMPREHENSIVE STATUS]

Name: Kai Chen

Age: 18 (current body)

Realm: Qi Gathering First Stage (Public) / Shadow Foundation building (Private)

Shadow Energy: 150/150

Death Points: 1,686

Total Kills: 3 (Justified eliminations)

Natural Deaths Harvested: 3

Sect Status: Outer Disciple (Rising reputation)

Time Until Evaluation: 6 days

Marked Targets: Han Feng (23% death probability), Chen Yun (8% death probability)

[ABILITIES MASTERED:]

[Death Vision, Shadow Step, Shadow Cloak, Soul Harvest, Shadow Meld, Death Mark, Shadow Puppetry]

[NEXT OBJECTIVES:]

[* Advance to Qi Gathering Second Stage (Public)]

[* Continue death energy harvesting]

[* Perform well in monthly evaluation]

[* Establish position as rising talent without revealing true power]

Kai lay back on his bed, satisfied with his progress. In less than a month, he'd gone from a dying businessman to a cultivator who commanded death and shadow. He'd eliminated threats, established a cover story, and built a system for continuous power growth.

The cultivation world was harsh and cruel. But Kai was learning to thrive in it.

Not by being the strongest, but by being the smartest. By seeing opportunities others missed. By turning the sect's own harsh systems into fuel for his advancement.

Tomorrow, he'd continue building his reputation as a lucky survivor working hard to stabilize his cultivation. And in secret, he'd grow stronger with every death in the sect.

Because in a world where thousands of disciples competed for limited resources, where the weak were systematically eliminated, where power was everything...

Death was the most abundant resource of all.

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