By dawn, the rumors had spread through every corner of the outer sect like wildfire across dry grass.
"Did you hear? Lu Shan was crippled by a new recruit!"
"They say he didn't even use Qi! Just martial technique!"
"Is he some hidden master's disciple?"
Most didn't know Su Chen's name yet—but they would.
Su Chen, meanwhile, was already awake.
He sat cross-legged in the shadow of a dying pine tree behind the latrine pits. Hardly a sacred ground for cultivation, but it was quiet. And for now, that was all he needed.
In front of him floated a transparent, flickering interface only he could see:
> [Temporary Qi Channeling Unlocked – Time Remaining: 46 Hours, 21 Minutes]
[System Tip:Initial Qi Gathering requires perfect stillness of body and mind. Recommend Void Meditation Technique – you may recall it from your previouslife.]
Su Chen took a slow, measured breath.
The Void Meditation had been developed by a sect long perished—one wiped out before the Crimson Serpent Sect ever carved its name into the mountains. It didn't require spiritual roots—only willpower, silence, and awareness of the void between breaths.
He closed his eyes.
He listened—to the wind brushing against cracked tiles, to the flies buzzing near the waste pits, to the steady thump of his own heartbeat.
Slower. Slower still.
And then—
He felt it.
Qi.
Like the shimmer of heat on stone. Subtle. Flickering at the edge of his perception. He didn't seize it—he welcomed it. Like trying to remember a dream just after waking.
His dantian pulsed.
> [Qi Flow Detected – Gathering Efficiency: 14%]
[Current Progress to Stage 1: 2.3%]
It was a beginning.
Su Chen's lips curled into a slight smile. A mortal would spend weeks or months reaching what he had touched in a single hour.
But this body… it was still too frail. The meridian channels were narrow. The core undeveloped. Still, he was ahead of schedule.
He stood, brushing dried needles and dust from his robes.
That's when he heard them—footsteps, approaching.
More than one pair.
He turned slowly and saw three outer sect disciples emerging from the trail, moving like men with purpose.
They were older. Robed in the red-trimmed colors of the Crimson Serpent. One stepped forward.
Tall. Square jaw. Cold, assessing gaze. A gold pin gleamed on his shoulder—Senior Outer Disciple.
"Su Chen, right?" he asked, voice smooth. "Impressive performance yesterday."
Su Chen gave a nod, guarded.
"I'm Yan Xiang, disciple under Elder Miao." He motioned to the others. "We saw potential in you. Elder Miao sponsors elite disciples—protects them. Rewards them. You've drawn attention. Some good… some not."
Su Chen met his gaze evenly. "I didn't intend to draw attention."
"That's not how the sect works," Yan Xiang replied. "You stand out, you become a target. Or an asset."
A pause, deliberate.
"Become one of ours. Pledge loyalty to Elder Miao's faction. You'll get pills. Manuals. Protection from… unexpected setbacks."
Su Chen's mind ticked like a clock.
He remembered the name Miao. In this timeline, a minor elder. But in fifty years? One of the Five Viper Thrones—until she was betrayed and slain in a bloodbath that almost brought the sect down.
But that fate was years off. For now, the map was useful.
"Tempting," Su Chen said. "But I'm not ready to be owned. Not yet."
Yan Xiang's lips twitched. "This isn't about ownership. It's about survival."
"And I'm still alive," Su Chen replied flatly.
The air hung still for a moment.
Then Yan Xiang nodded. "Very well. We'll speak again."
They turned and left.
As soon as they vanished behind the ridge, the System chimed.
> [Political Web Unlocked – Crimson Serpent Faction Chart Created]
[Major Factions Identified: Elder Miao, Elder Duan, Instructor Yao, and Shadow Sect Infiltrators]
[New Hidden Objective: Manipulate Sect Conflict – Survive Until Internal Purge]
Su Chen exhaled.
Politics, in a sect like this, were deadlier than blades.
He turned to leave—and nearly bumped into a girl standing at the edge of the pine tree's shade.
She was slim, silent. Wore plain disciple robes. Carried a bundle of fresh herbs. Her eyes—sharp. Alert.
"I saw you fight yesterday," she said.
"You moved like water in a sealed well."
Su Chen blinked. "That's a strange compliment."
"I'm strange," she replied. "Name's Lin Yao. I'm one of the herb collectors from Mistvale Garden."
He gave a small nod. "Su Chen."
"You're going to make a lot of enemies," she said plainly. "Be careful. Some here don't fight with fists."
Then she turned and walked off, vanishing behind a bend in the trail like morning mist.
Su Chen stood in place a moment longer, then turned his gaze toward the horizon.
Another ripple in the pond.
This sect was a den of serpents.
And now, the smallest viper was drawing fangs.
But Su Chen wasn't afraid.
Let them plot. Let them strike.
He had a Reset waiting.
And he already knew how the story ends.