At 10 a.m., outside the headquarters of Genesis Group, Ji Chen wore a borrowed suit while Su Wan was dressed in a crisp business outfit. Together, they looked like nothing more than ordinary office workers. The Disguise Spell had altered their facial features enough that even acquaintances wouldn't recognize them.
"Stick to the plan," Su Wan said in a low voice. "I'll create a distraction to draw off security. You head for Qin Yue's office. No matter what, we meet back in the lobby in twenty minutes."
Ji Chen nodded, his palms slick with sweat. He took a deep breath to steady himself. As the Spirit Eye activated, the building before him morphed into a flowing diagram of spiritual energy. Ordinary humans glowed white; cultivators emitted hues of green or blue. But dark gray streams of energy were already rising from underground, converging toward the top floor.
"It's begun."
Su Wan suddenly stumbled, colliding into a woman who was just about to enter the building.
"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" she cried out dramatically, drawing the attention of the nearby guards. While the commotion held their gaze, Ji Chen slipped past and made for the elevator, swiping Lin Mo's access card to light up the top floor.
As the elevator rose, a strange sense of dread twisted in his chest. The mark on his palm was burning hot again, warning him that danger loomed. By the time the elevator dinged softly to a halt, his shirt was soaked in cold sweat.
To his surprise, the outer office was deserted. The secretary's computer was still on, and the coffee on her desk was steaming. Ji Chen opened his Spirit Eye wide and spotted faint gray marks on the floor—traces of spiritual residue—leading toward the inner office.
He crept forward, pressing his ear to the door. A low chanting voice echoed inside, occasionally interrupted by groans of pain. Ji Chen slowly turned the handle—unlocked.
Through the crack, a terrifying scene unfolded. Qin Yue stood with his back to the door, facing a black altar. The Blood Spirit Crystal hovered above it, greedily absorbing dark mist flowing from the ceiling. On the floor, three men in suits lay motionless, faces ashen. Though their chests still rose and fell faintly, their life force was nearly gone.
"…by blood invoked, by soul sacrificed…" Qin Yue's voice was hoarse, bordering on inhuman. "Nine Shadows converge… Ming Zun, descend…"
Ji Chen held his breath. His Spirit Eye locked onto the Blood Spirit Crystal. Inside the crystal, a tiny black core connected to nine threads of gray light—this was the formation's eye.
Just as he stepped back, planning to use the Break Formation Charm, his foot slipped and knocked over a vase by the door.
"Who's there?" Qin Yue spun around, his eyes now pitch black.
No use hiding anymore. Ji Chen pushed the door open fully. "President Qin. Long time no see."
"Ji Chen?" Qin Yue looked surprised at first, then let out a wicked grin. "I was wondering where you were. And here you are, offering yourself up."
With a flick of his hand, a whip of black energy lashed out. Ji Chen dodged but still caught a glancing hit to his shoulder, sending searing pain across his skin.
"The Heavenly Tome's host is impressive," Qin Yue sneered. "Mid-Spirit Phase and you can take a hit from my Shadow Whip. But…" he vanished in a blur, reappearing in front of Ji Chen, "you're still far from a match for me!"
A heavy punch landed in Ji Chen's abdomen, sending him crashing into the wall. His insides felt like they had been shaken loose. Qin Yue's strength was overwhelming—at least at the Golden Core stage!
Gritting his teeth, Ji Chen summoned the Spiritfang Dagger from his storage ring. Gold light flashed as he raised it just in time to parry another strike. Even so, the impact left his arm numb.
"Is that all your Tai Xu Sutra taught you?" Qin Yue mocked, conjuring black chains of mist to bind Ji Chen's limbs. "Give me the tome, and I'll grant you a quicker death."
The chains tightened. Ji Chen struggled, gasping. He remembered a forbidden technique—Spirit Burst—compressing spiritual energy within the body to create a shockwave. Risky and damaging, but there was no other way.
His energy gathered violently at his dantian, nearly tearing his meridians apart.
Then—boom!
A wave of energy exploded from his body, shattering glass and ripping the chains apart. Qin Yue was forced back several steps.
Ji Chen lunged for the altar, raising the Break Formation Charm toward the Blood Spirit Crystal. Just as he was about to strike, a powerful force slammed into him from the side.
"Trying to destroy the formation?" Qin Yue hissed, grabbing Ji Chen by the throat and lifting him off the ground. "Foolish."
Choking, vision fading, Ji Chen refused to look away from the crystal. The threads were glowing brighter, the formation nearly complete.
At that moment, silver light shattered the window—and an arrow struck Qin Yue's arm.
He roared in pain and dropped Ji Chen, who collapsed to the floor, gasping.
"S—Su Wan…"
She stood by the broken window, silver bow drawn. Three arrows launched at once. Qin Yue raised a black shield, but the arrows curved midair, bypassing his defense and striking the altar.
"No!" he screamed, too late.
One arrow pierced the Blood Spirit Crystal. The other two shattered the altar's base. Cracks webbed across the crystal's surface, and the threads flickered wildly.
Seizing the moment, Ji Chen crushed the charm and slammed it into the floor. A golden light spread like lightning through the building's spiritual veins. Explosions echoed from afar—the other nodes were being destroyed.
"You dare!" Qin Yue howled. His body distorted and swelled, skin turning gray-green. "I'll rip your souls apart!"
Back to back, Ji Chen and Su Wan faced the now monstrous Qin Yue—more beast than man, a far cry from his former elegance.
"New plan," Su Wan muttered. "I'll hold him off. You destroy the crystal."
"No—you'll die!"
"No time!" She bit her finger and drew a bloody rune on her brow. "Su Clan Secret Art: Azure Luan Skyfire!"
A silver flame erupted around her, forming a flaming bird. Ji Chen knew this was a life-burning technique. But there was no other way.
He rushed toward the altar, Spiritfang Dagger in hand. Qin Yue tried to intercept but was held back by the fiery phoenix. Ji Chen drove the blade into the crystal. At that moment, the jade scroll's mark on his palm flared.
Tai Xu Seal of Banishment.
Instinctively, Ji Chen moved his fingers in a new sequence, forming an ancient seal. Golden script wrapped around the crystal, sealing it.
"No! That belongs to the Lord—!" Qin Yue's roar was cut short as an arrow pierced his heart.
The crystal exploded into powder, the formation collapsing. Qin Yue shrieked and began to disintegrate.
"Look out!" Su Wan leapt at Ji Chen.
Qin Yue, in his final moment, released one last attack—a beam of black energy that struck Su Wan's back. She coughed blood, collapsing into Ji Chen's arms.
"Su Wan!"
Black mist surged inside her. Ji Chen frantically fed her the Heartguard Pill, but its effects were minimal.
"Useless…" Su Wan whispered. "It's a Soul-Eater Curse… Only…"
"Only what?"
"Su Clan secret… Must… return…"
Ji Chen lifted her and ran. Alarms blared. Panicked employees streamed down the stairs. Lin Mo spotted them and rushed over.
"The car's out front!" he shouted. "Move!"
They barreled toward the SUV. Ji Chen cradled Su Wan, pouring spiritual energy into her, trying to keep the curse at bay. Lin Mo was on the phone, but his expression turned grim.
"The Su Clan refused to send help. She has to return herself."
"What?! They want her dead?"
"It's… the rules. No outsiders allowed into the ancestral land. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless you're family or her Dao companion," Lin Mo said, eyeing Ji Chen.
"I'm not—" Ji Chen stopped. He understood.
"Pretending is better than letting her die," Lin Mo snapped. "Make up your mind. We're ten minutes from the airport."
Ji Chen looked down at Su Wan's blood-streaked face. Her lips curled faintly, as if mocking the irony of it all.
"Alright," he said, tightening his grip. "We're going to the Su Clan."