Night fell once more over the Crimson Serpent Sect.
Mist curled along the edges of the garden walls like the breath of sleeping beasts. Spirit lanterns shimmered above the training fields, and weary disciples shuffled back to their quarters, their robes soaked with sweat and spirit ash.
But Su Chen moved in the opposite direction—deeper into the mountain's shadow.
He wasn't training tonight.
He was hunting.
The Dao Mirror Fragment was still in Ji Liang's possession, likely hidden deep within the elite disciple quarters under protective seals. But Su Chen had no intention of charging in or challenging him outright.
Not yet.
He intended to copy it.
In his past life, the fragment had been partially deciphered by a rogue alchemist named Yun Qiao, who created a forbidden duplication formation for relic imprints. That man was long dead in this timeline—but Su Chen remembered everything: every sigil, every ritual circle, every pulse of spirit logic.
Now, he needed just a few rare ingredients.
The first: Ghostweave Silk—a spiritual thread harvested from the nests of nocturnal Soul Spiders. Rare, venomous, and rumored to be spun from the memories of their prey.
Luckily, Lin Yao knew where to find it.
"You're insane," she said flatly, arms crossed as they stood near the edge of the Old Well Ravine, just beyond the herb gardens.
Su Chen gave her a faint smile. "Only slightly."
"You want to go into a Soul Spider nest? They don't just bite, you know—they rip out memories."
"I'll wear a dampening charm. You stay above. Just show me the way."
She groaned and muttered curses, but relented.
A few minutes later, Su Chen was descending into the black maw of the ravine, lantern in one hand, short blade in the other. The walls grew damp with moss, and the shadows seemed to shift around him like breathing cloth.
Halfway down, he saw the first sign: a thin, silver thread stretched tight between two mossy stones.
He followed it, careful and silent, until he found the web.
It glistened like woven moonlight, strung between twisted roots beneath an old gnarled tree. Dew dripped from its strands. So did blood.
A spirit fox lay curled and lifeless in its grip. Its eyes were hollow sockets.
> [System Warning: Mental Interference Detected]
[Temporary Buff Applied: +20% Memory Shield]
A skittering noise echoed behind him.
Then again. Closer.
Then—eight eyes appeared. Gleaming. Silent. Watching.
The Soul Spider crept forward, legs tapping like bone flutes against the stone. Its carapace shimmered faintly with ancient runes—a peak-rank spirit beast of its tier.
Su Chen didn't flinch.
Instead, he knelt, whispering an ancient chant. One he had used in his Void Sovereign days to tame beasts forged from nightmare and spirit.
The spider twitched. Paused.
Then lunged.
Su Chen moved like a blade drawn from the void. A single strike, precise and deliberate, struck the joint of its front leg. The spider screeched and scuttled backward into the dark, retreating into its lair.
Su Chen didn't chase.
Instead, he stepped forward and plucked the silk.
> [Ghostweave Silk Acquired – 3 Strands]
He climbed back to the surface.
Lin Yao blinked. "You're insane."
"You've said that twice now," he replied, lips curled into a faint smirk.
By morning, Su Chen was back in the herb shed, seated before a stone plate etched with ritual grooves. Before him were the components of the Relic Shadow Seal—a forbidden formation used to copy the spiritual imprint of relics.
He worked slowly, carving sigils with the edge of a spirit knife. Each line had to be flawless. One slip, and the backlash could rip his soul.
Hours passed.
Then, as the first light of dawn pierced the misted windows—
> [Formation Complete: Shadow Echo Seal – One Use Remaining]
[Warning: Direct contact with target item required]
Su Chen exhaled.
Now came the dangerous part.
He needed to touch the fragment while Ji Liang wasn't looking.
Later that day, Ji Liang stood in the public training arena, surrounded by a crowd of admiring disciples. He was performing the Crimson Flame Palm, a mid-tier martial art that erupted in a blast of glowing red force.
It was flashy. Brutal. Designed to impress.
Su Chen watched from the edge, face expressionless, mind racing.
He saw it—the Dao Mirror Fragment, still hanging from Ji Liang's waist, tied with a cord of gold-threaded silk.
He stepped forward through the crowd, bumping into a taller disciple.
"Watch it, trash," the boy growled.
Su Chen bowed. "Apologies."
And in that instant—his hand brushed Ji Liang's robe.
The formation pulsed silently.
> [Dao Mirror Fragment – Echo Copy Successful]
[Void Arts Archive: Level 1 Unlocked – 3 Arts Restored]
— Voidflow Step – Move like the fold between shadows.
— Mirror Pulse – Reflect intent before it strikes.
— Soul Veil – Fade beyond perception.
Su Chen stepped away before anyone noticed.
His heart beat faster—not from fear.
But from victory.
He had stolen power from a future monster. Right under his nose.
And no one had seen it.
Not yet.
That night, Su Chen sat alone in the shed, eyes closed, replaying the Mirror Pulse flow through his meridians. It was imperfect—but real. Familiar. His.
He was still weak—for now.
But piece by piece, he was reclaiming what was once his.
> [Checkpoint Reached – Save Progress?]
"Yes," Su Chen whispered. "Save it here."
This was the first step of many.
And he wasn't planning to reset for a very, very long time.