—Third Person Viewpoint—
Far from the serenity of Azure Sky Sect, beyond the plains of the mortal kingdoms and across the Bone-Skull Ridge, there lay a vast and eerie territory shrouded in crimson mist and poisonous fog—the lands ruled by the infamous Crimson Spirit Demon Sect.
Within the Grand Demon Hall, torches burned with ghostly green flames. Dozens of elders and sect masters knelt before a dark throne shrouded in shadows.
Upon it sat a woman draped in black and blood-red robes. Her beauty was unrivaled—yet terrifying. Her presence was not just seductive, but soul-devouring. Her name echoed like thunder among the heretical cultivators—
Demon Empress Yue Minglan.
A Saint Realm powerhouse, feared across the continent.
And she was angry.
"Azure Sky Sect…" her voice was soft, but each syllable vibrated with deathly pressure. "A mysterious energy blocked my fate-sensing technique… Something powerful hides within their ranks."
One elder shuddered. "Empress, could it be… an ancient formation?"
"No. Not a formation," she said, her eyes glowing with demonic light. "Something alive. Something that shouldn't exist in this era."
The hall went silent.
Then she spoke again, this time more calmly, more… intrigued.
"There is one possibility. An anomaly. A being not bound by fate or Heaven's records. If such a person truly exists… and is hiding in that sect…" Her eyes narrowed into slits. "I want him."
An elder asked cautiously, "Shall we prepare for war, Empress?"
Yue Minglan laughed—a chilling, seductive sound.
"No. That would alert the heavens and ruin everything. Send the Shadow Envoys. Let them infiltrate the outer disciples. I want reports. Every face, every fluctuation of qi… if a single anomaly exists—bring him to me."
"Yes, Empress!"
---
Meanwhile, at Azure Sky Sect…
In the mountain range behind the sect, Li Xuan opened his eyes mid-cultivation.
A faint tremor passed through the air—almost imperceptible.
His eyes narrowed. "A fate-sensing technique… was cast just now."
He raised his hand.
A faint golden light surged from his palm and was instantly swallowed by the void.
"System," he said calmly. "Show Interference Record."
---
[System Notification – Interference Detected]
Origin: Crimson Spirit Demon Sect
Method: Fate Sense (High-Rank Demonic Divination)
Effect: Nullified by Dao Field
Target Recognition: Inconclusive
Countertrace: Hidden
Recommendation: Maintain Concealment. Increase Caution.
[System Note]
Time until next reward: 2 Years, 11 Months, 14 Days
---
Li Xuan stood slowly and walked to the edge of the cliff. The night wind blew his long robe behind him, his face hidden in the shadows.
"So… the demons have begun to move," he murmured. "This peaceful sect may soon become a battlefield."
He sighed.
"I should lay low… and quietly prepare."
But he knew… Fate—even if it couldn't touch him—was beginning to twist the threads of war.