Chapter 16
The small, black spider token felt cool and solid in Ye-Liyun's hand. He was ready to move from the local Black Market to the continental stage.
He met the Stygian contact—an elderly man with a pleasant, professional demeanor—at the old ruins outside the city the next morning.
"Welcome, young operative," the elderly man said, his voice calm and businesslike. "The rewards here are excellent, but we do require a commitment to discretion."
The contact produced a scroll made of dried, dark leather: the Equal-Soul Divine Soul Contract.
"Liyun! This is the most important step! A Divine Soul Contract is unbreakable! It binds your soul to secrecy! Read carefully! I will guide you!" the Emperor advised.
Ye-Liyun nodded and began to read. The Emperor guided him through the clauses.
"The contract is safe, Liyun. It's a standard Physical Soul Contract. It binds your physical soul to secrecy, but it doesn't touch your true Sea of Consciousness—the core of your being. It's a common legal tool, but people at your low realm probably haven't heard of it."
"The contract is fair," Ye-Liyun stated, looking up. "But I have one condition. The contract must not interfere with my personal quest against the Ye Clan."
The elderly man smiled faintly. "We are a business, not a police force. We don't interfere with personal matters, only your efficiency. Consider your condition accepted. Now, sign." He leaned in slightly. "You should know, many high-ranking officials post their enemies on our board. They pay plenty of money for discretion. Our targets are often political, not just rogue cultivators."
Ye-Liyun's eyes narrowed. This was a direct link to the power structure. "I understand."
Ye-Liyun bit his thumb and pressed his blood onto the scroll. The scroll flared with a brief, warm light, and the spiritual energy of the contract instantly bound itself to his soul. He felt a faint, cool mark appear on his spiritual core—the Stygian seal.
"Welcome aboard," the elderly man said. "You are now a direct operative. Your score is zero. You need 100 Merit Points to be eligible for our best missions and resources. Your first assignment is already in your token."
He paused, leaning in slightly. "Once you reach a higher rank—say, 500 Merit Points—you will be able to choose missions from the public Bulletin Board. Until then, your assignments will be given directly to you."
Ye-Liyun channeled a thread of Qi into the black spider token. A holographic map and a mission brief instantly appeared in his mind.
Mission 001: The Serpent's Scale
Target: A rogue Qi Condensation Master named 'The Serpent.'
Location: The Serpent's Lair, a hidden cave in the Northern Mountains.
Reward: 50 Merit Points and the loot from the lair.
Deadline: 48 Hours.
"I accept," Ye-Liyun said.
The elderly man nodded. "Excellent. Now, use the token to enter the Secret Realm. You will find all the resources you need for preparation there. Remember, no fighting is permitted within the Secret Realm unless it is part of a sanctioned training exercise. You will only leave the realm to execute the mission."
Ye-Liyun channeled Qi into the token. The token pulsed, and a faint, shimmering portal opened in the air before him. He stepped through.
He found himself in the Stygian Secret Realm—a vast, subterranean complex. The spiritual energy was ten times thicker than the city. This was the true power of Stygian.
"Liyun! Look at the shops! They have elixirs for Soul Cultivation! It's a common, separate path of power in the higher realms, but your low-level world hasn't developed it. It's a fast way to kill—you enter their Sea of Consciousness and attack their soul directly! The time in the consciousness is faster than outside, so you can kill within seconds!"
"The full technique is too advanced for you now, but you must start training your soul! Go to the library!"
Ye-Liyun spent the next few hours in the Stygian library, absorbing knowledge. He found detailed maps of the Northern Mountains and a complete profile of The Serpent. He also found basic texts on Soul Cultivation, realizing the immense, untapped power it represented.
He then went to the dedicated training grounds. He used the high-density Qi of the Secret Realm to push his cultivation. He spent hours practicing the Supreme Immortal Body Refinement Art and the stealth techniques.
"Liyun! The Art is stable, but the breakthrough is a wall! You must push your Qi to the absolute limit! It will be painful! The Art demands a massive, violent influx of energy!"
Ye-Liyun began the breakthrough attempt. He circulated the Art, aggressively drawing the dense spiritual energy of the Secret Realm into his core. The process was not smooth; it was a battle. His meridians screamed, and his body shook violently as the raw Qi threatened to tear him apart. He endured the agony, his mind focused on the image of his brother's sneer. He pushed for hours, sweat pouring from his body, until he finally felt the subtle, agonizing snap of the barrier breaking.
"You did it, Liyun! You broke through! You are now a stable Mid-Stage Qi Condensation master! The Art is truly yours!"
Ye-Liyun collapsed, panting, his confidence renewed. He had earned his power through sheer will and pain. He was ready for the Serpent.
He left the Secret Realm. He reached the Northern Mountains and found the hidden cave entrance. The illusion array was simple, and the Emperor guided him through it easily.
He entered the lair. The Serpent was waiting, a professional smile on his face, surrounded by a small arsenal of spiritual weapons.
"A Stygian operative," The Serpent said, his voice calm. He scanned Ye-Liyun with a wave of spiritual sense, his smile turning into a sneer. "Mid-Stage Qi Condensation? You think you can take me? I'm Late-Stage. I've dealt with a dozen Stygian rats stronger than you. You're a joke."
Ye-Liyun didn't speak. He channeled his full Mid-Stage Qi into his spiritual sword and launched himself forward. The fight was a professional engagement, but the power gap was immediately evident. The Serpent was a veteran, his movements fluid and his spiritual energy overwhelming.
"Liyun! He's stronger than I thought! You must use the Art! Use the terrain! Force him into a corner!" the Emperor urged internally.
Ye-Liyun used the Supreme Immortal Body Refinement Art, his body moving with impossible speed to compensate for the difference in Qi. He dodged The Serpent's heavy, power-focused strikes, forcing the fight to be about speed and precision rather than brute force. He used the terrain, forcing The Serpent into a corner near a massive, unstable rock column.
The fight ended with a single, precise strike. Ye-Liyun feigned a retreat, drawing The Serpent into a powerful lunge. As The Serpent committed to the attack, Ye-Liyun dodged, channeling his Qi into a focused, razor-thin strike aimed at the rock column's base. The column shattered, and the massive stone crashed down onto The Serpent.
The Serpent screamed, his spiritual shield failing under the crushing weight. He was pinned, defeated, his spiritual core exposed.
"Liyun! The mission requires his death! You must kill him! It is the rule! Use a soul attack! End it now!" the Emperor commanded.
Ye-Liyun looked at the defeated man, his face contorted in pain and rage. He saw the Serpent, a Late-Stage cultivator, reduced to a helpless, broken mess. He saw his own reflection in the Serpent's eyes—a reflection of the ruthlessness required to survive.
I will not kill unless I have to. The thought was a final, desperate clinging to his old morality. But then he remembered the Clan Hall, the sneer of his brother, the cold betrayal of his father, and the collapsing meridians. He remembered the Divine Mandate Scroll and the power he needed to reclaim it all.
We all do whatever it takes to become strong. I am a banished man. I am a slave to a contract. I am a thief of divine mandates. I am no longer a boy.
The epiphany was a cold, hard truth. He had to cross the line.
"The mission requires your head," Ye-Liyun muttered, his voice devoid of emotion.
He channeled a small thread of Qi into his spiritual sword and, with a quick, precise movement, ended The Serpent's life. He then performed the grim task of retrieving the proof of the kill.
"Liyun… you did what was necessary. You are a true cultivator now." The Emperor's voice was quiet, almost approving.
He quickly looted the lair, finding a massive stash of spiritual herbs and a small, valuable artifact. He returned to the Stygian contact, presenting the proof of the completed mission (the head).
"You are efficient, young man," the elderly man said, his eyes glinting. "Mission complete. Your score is now 50 Merit Points."
Ye-Liyun had his first points, his first loot, and his first taste of the Stygian's power. He was ready for the next mission.