The moon hung low over the Broken Sky Sect, its silver light bathing the mountain peaks in a cold glow. Lin Yuan's courtyard was silent, his formation shimmering faintly, concealing the power within. Seated cross-legged, Lin Yuan focused on his cultivation. Threads of spiritual energy swirled around him, seeping into his body and nourishing his unstable golden core.
But beneath his calm exterior, his thoughts were sharp. The sect was far from peaceful. Disciples vanished without a trace, and whispers of a demonic presence stirred fear among the outer and inner sect alike. Yet Lin Yuan remained unbothered. If anything, this turmoil provided the perfect cover for his own quiet growth.
His hand brushed against the formation book on his table. Though most of its advanced contents remained sealed, his mastery over basic and intermediate formations had grown. With a thought, a faint light shimmered around his courtyard, multiple layers of concealment, defense, and alert formations quietly active.
[Orb Interface Activated]
Cultivation: Golden Core Realm (Early Stage, Unstable)
Physical Body: Celestial Stone Body (Intermediate)
Spiritual Energy: Unstable Golden Core (Cloudy)
Special Abilities: Absorption, Spiritual Perception, Heavenly Lightning (Raw)
Formation Mastery: Intermediate Level (Concealment, Defense, Detection)
Lin Yuan's lips curved slightly. His quiet cultivation was progressing well, and the shadow of danger seemed distant. But a faint shiver in the spiritual energy around him broke his focus. A ripple in his defensive formation—someone had approached his courtyard.
Lin Yuan's eyes opened, and his expression turned cold. In an instant, his aura vanished entirely, his presence like a wisp of smoke. Standing silently behind the door, he heard a faint rustle, then a quiet voice.
"Junior Brother Lin Yuan? Are you here?"
A woman's voice, soft yet tinged with uncertainty. Lin Yuan's cold gaze softened slightly. He recognized that voice. Opening the door, he saw a familiar figure standing under the moonlight.
"Senior Sister Xia Zhi?" Lin Yuan's tone was calm, but a hint of surprise showed in his eyes.
Xia Zhi stood there, her silver hair glowing under the moonlight, her cold, beautiful face as serene as ever. Yet a trace of worry flickered in her silver eyes.
"You've returned," she said, a slight relief in her voice.
"I did. Senior Sister, is something the matter?" Lin Yuan asked, feigning confusion.
Xia Zhi's gaze swept over him, her sharp senses probing slightly, but she sensed only a stable Qi Condensation aura. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something… different about him.
"There have been attacks… and strange disappearances. Some of the elders believe it's the work of a demonic cultivator," Xia Zhi explained, her voice calm but tense. "Junior Brother Lin, you should be careful."
Lin Yuan's expression darkened. "Thank you for the warning, Senior Sister. But has the sect taken action?"
Xia Zhi hesitated, then shook her head. "The inner sect is on high alert, but the elders have not revealed much. It feels… like they are hiding something."
Lin Yuan's mind raced. If the sect's leadership was hiding the truth, the situation was far worse than it seemed. But showing concern now would be unwise. He maintained a calm, thoughtful expression.
"I will be careful. Thank you, Senior Sister."
Xia Zhi nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on him for a moment. "If you need help, you can seek me out."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked away, her silver hair swaying gently in the moonlight. Lin Yuan watched her leave, his expression unreadable. But as her figure disappeared, a faint smile touched his lips.
"Interesting…"
Closing his door, he sat down once more, his thoughts returning to the situation. A demonic cultivator, hidden threats, and a sect unwilling to reveal the truth. The more chaos around him, the better for his quiet growth.
But he wouldn't remain passive. His eyes shifted to the formation book. Mastering more formations could be a valuable tool, especially in times of danger. And his strength… it must continue to grow.
His hand reached for the orb, its faint glow pulsing. He could feel the vast, untapped power within it. And as always, a gentle stream of energy flowed into his body, nourishing his golden core. But tonight, he decided to take a bolder step.
"Absorb," he whispered, focusing his will.
The spiritual energy in his courtyard surged, his orb drawing it in like a vortex. His golden core brightened, the chaotic mist within slowly stabilizing, threads of lightning crackling faintly. His body grew stronger, his meridians denser, and his spiritual sense sharper.
His gaze flickered. He had learned a lesson in the ancient ruins—caution must never become cowardice. He would grow quietly, but his strength would be a blade hidden beneath the silk.
The night passed quietly, but as dawn broke, a new commotion swept through the sect. An entire patrol had vanished, and this time, an elder's disciple was among them. Panic spread, and rumors grew wilder.
Some claimed it was a demonic beast. Others whispered of a traitor within the sect. But as the sect's leadership tried to maintain order, Lin Yuan remained calm, his concealed strength quietly growing.
Days turned to weeks. Lin Yuan's quiet cultivation bore fruit. His golden core stabilized further, and his mastery of formations improved. His courtyard was now a near-impenetrable fortress, layered with defensive and stealth arrays.
But beneath his calm, another question lingered—who was the true enemy hiding in the shadows? And how long would they remain hidden?
....
The Broken Sky Sect was in turmoil.
Disciples whispered in the corridors, and elders walked with tense expressions. Another patrol had gone missing, their fates unknown. Some claimed to have heard faint screams in the night, while others swore they saw shadowy figures flitting through the forests.
Lin Yuan, however, remained a quiet, unremarkable figure in the outer sect. His cultivation aura stayed that of a peak Qi Condensation disciple, his true Golden Core's presence concealed by his mastery of formations and his unique ability to suppress his own aura. But beneath his calm exterior, he watched, listened, and learned.
His courtyard had become a quiet fortress. Defensive formations shimmered faintly at the edges, and spiritual energy flowed more densely than anywhere else in the outer sect. Each night, Lin Yuan absorbed this energy, his golden core growing more stable, the lightning within it crackling with silent power.
[Orb Interface Activated]
Cultivation: Golden Core Realm (Early Stage, Stabilized)
Physical Body: Celestial Stone Body (Advanced)
Spiritual Energy: Stabilized Golden Core (Lightning Essence Integrated)
Special Abilities: Absorption, Spiritual Perception, Heavenly Lightning (Refined)
Formation Mastery: Advanced Level (Concealment, Defense, Detection)
Techniques:
Thunderfire Essence Technique (Initial Stage)
Star Shattering Palm (Intermediate Stage)
The Thunderfire Essence Technique he acquired in the ancient ruins was a profound dual-element cultivation art, allowing him to harness both lightning and fire, purifying his spiritual energy and tempering his body further. The Star Shattering Palm, was also a technique he had obtained in the ruins and now as his core is stabilized he can cultivate some of the techniques previously sealed , he was now far more powerful, the force of his strikes charged with a faint crackle of lightning.
In the quiet of his courtyard, Lin Yuan practiced the Thunderfire Essence Technique, his surroundings bathed in alternating flashes of crimson flame and azure lightning. His body absorbed the two opposing forces, his spiritual energy becoming denser and purer. The Heavenly Lightning within his golden core seemed to resonate with the new power, each pulse of energy refining his body further.
But his isolation had not gone unnoticed.
A knock on his courtyard door shattered the quiet. Lin Yuan opened it to find a familiar face—Elder Qian, a stern, gray-haired figure whose sharp eyes missed little.
"Disciple Lin Yuan, may I come in?" Elder Qian asked, his voice polite but firm.
Lin Yuan's expression remained calm. "Of course, Elder."
Leading the elder inside, Lin Yuan maintained a humble demeanor, offering tea with practiced courtesy. Elder Qian's gaze swept over the room, lingering on the formation engravings, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.
"Your mastery of formations has improved greatly," Elder Qian commented, sipping the tea.
"Thank you, Elder. I have spent much of my free time studying," Lin Yuan replied modestly.
Elder Qian nodded, but his gaze remained sharp. "That is commendable. But tell me, have you noticed anything… strange recently? Disciples have gone missing, and some elders believe a sinister force is at work."
Lin Yuan's expression became serious. "I have heard the rumors, Elder. But I remain within my courtyard most of the time. I focus on my cultivation."
"Is that so?" Elder Qian leaned forward slightly. "And you have never encountered anything unusual during your cultivation?"
"Only the usual difficulties of progress, Elder." Lin Yuan's tone was sincere, his calm gaze meeting Elder Qian's.
A long silence followed. Elder Qian's spiritual sense probed subtly, but Lin Yuan's courtyard was a fortress, his concealment formations working flawlessly. The elder's expression softened slightly.
"You are a promising disciple, Lin Yuan. Be cautious. The darkness does not only threaten those who seek it," Elder Qian said, rising to leave.
"I will remember your guidance, Elder," Lin Yuan replied, bowing.
As the elder's figure disappeared beyond the courtyard gate, Lin Yuan's calm mask faded slightly. He could feel it—pressure was mounting within the sect. Whatever was preying on the disciples was growing bolder, and the elders were becoming desperate.
Yet beneath his calm exterior, Lin Yuan felt a faint excitement. The chaos outside was a perfect smokescreen for his quiet growth.
That night, he did not simply cultivate. He fully immersed himself in the Thunderfire Essence Technique, guiding the fiery and lightning energies to flow through his meridians, refining his spiritual energy. His golden core within him shone brighter, the swirling energy around it tinged with a flicker of crimson flame.
Days passed quietly. Lin Yuan's strength grew, his golden core stabilizing further, his spiritual sense sharpening. His concealment formations were further refined, becoming almost undetectable. The Star Shattering Palm, now infused with a trace of lightning, grew devastatingly powerful, capable of shattering boulders with a flicker of his fingers.
But the peace was shattered one rainy night.
Thunder roared over the mountains, and lightning flashed, illuminating the sect's mist-shrouded peaks. Lin Yuan was meditating when a faint tremor ran through his courtyard's defensive formation.
A chill swept over him. Something had touched his outermost formation.
His eyes snapped open, his senses extending through the formation. Shadows flickered at the edge of his courtyard, barely visible in the storm. A faint, dark mist swirled, and a twisted figure emerged—a figure cloaked in darkness, its eyes burning with crimson light.
A demonic cultivator.
But something was strange. The figure seemed to waver, its form unstable, like a shadow given life. Lin Yuan's thoughts raced. A projection? Or something else?
The figure's clawed hand reached toward his courtyard, but a ripple of light flashed—Lin Yuan's defensive formation flared, pushing the shadow back. The creature hissed, its form shuddering, but its eyes locked onto Lin Yuan's courtyard.
Lin Yuan's heart raced. This was no random attack. This thing had come for him.
But his expression turned cold. "You want to test me? Fine."
His hands moved in a blur, the formation book's teachings surging through his mind. His courtyard shimmered, and a crackling lightning array formed at its edge. Blue arcs of lightning danced, and a thunderous roar filled the air.
The shadow shrieked as lightning lanced forward, its form writhing under the blinding light. But it did not dissipate. Instead, it seemed to split, two smaller shadows escaping the strike and fading into the mist.
Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed. "Escaped? No… it split and retreated."
Calming himself, he reinforced his formations, the lightning array remaining active. But a cold unease settled over him. The demonic force was not just preying on the sect—it was hunting for something.
And tonight, it had hunted him.
Morning came, the storm clearing, but the Broken Sky Sect was in an uproar. Two more disciples had vanished overnight, their courtyard doors left wide open, their spiritual signatures erased.
But no one came to Lin Yuan's courtyard. No one knew of the shadow that had attacked him, and he had no intention of revealing it.
Instead, he stood within his fortified sanctuary, his eyes cold and thoughtful.
"If you wish to hunt me, you will find your prey is not so easy to devour."