The moon hung low over the Azure Sky Sect, veiled behind a curtain of drifting clouds. The sect grounds were quiet, disciples either asleep or deep in meditation. But to Li Xuan, the night was when truths emerged—when shadows whispered.
Clad in a plain dark robe, his face hidden behind a spiritual obscuring veil, Li Xuan walked slowly along the outer sect mountain path. His presence was so well concealed that even Foundation Establishment cultivators passed by without a flicker of recognition.
In his hand was a simple token that allowed access to most areas of the outer sect—one he'd "borrowed" years ago and modified with a formation that bypassed inner wards.
---
[System Notification – Destiny Veil Active]
Current Status: Hidden from all fate-detection techniques.
Next Passive Reward Available In: 2 Years, 7 Months, 2 Days
---
Li Xuan's eyes flicked toward a group of four newly recruited outer sect disciples. Their cultivation was at the late Qi Condensation stage, but their auras felt too steady, their gazes too calculating for fresh initiates.
More importantly, they all bore faint, unnoticeable scars along their wrists—marks Li Xuan instantly recognized.
'Blood-bound Oath Seals. Used by demonic sects to bind agents…'
He followed silently as the four disciples moved through the sect, eventually slipping into an abandoned training yard near the base of the northern cliff wall.
From behind a concealed spirit tree, Li Xuan observed.
The four knelt in a circle and placed black talismans on the ground. One began to chant in a low demonic dialect, drawing dark qi from a hidden storage ring. The air around them grew heavy.
"So it's true," Li Xuan murmured. "They've begun infiltrating the sect."
Without hesitation, he activated Phantom Mirage Technique. A flawless illusion of himself walked calmly into the yard.
"Who goes there?!" one of the spies shouted.
The illusion didn't answer—but within moments, it released a surge of spiritual pressure, enough to suppress Qi Condensation and even early Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Panic flickered in their eyes.
But it was too late.
Li Xuan appeared behind them, a whisper of wind.
He raised his palm—Eclipse Sword Seed manifested as a thin black blade formed from shadow and void. A single slice later, all four fell unconscious, their cultivation sealed.
"No killing. Not yet. Information is worth more."
With practiced precision, he marked them with a soul-binding seal and sent them into a pocket formation cave under the mountain.
He turned back toward the sect's inner regions.
'I'll alert the Sect Master indirectly. Let the elders think they've discovered a plot themselves.'
And then he vanished into the mist once more.
---
Meanwhile – In the Inner Court…
Yue Qingxue sat under the moonlight, brushing her fingers along her sword's hilt. Her eyes, usually calm, were now conflicted.
"I saw him again… near the cliffside," she whispered.
Even now, she could not understand how someone so beautiful, so unreadable, existed among mortals. She could feel something different every time she saw Li Xuan—even though he always seemed so… ordinary.
"Who are you really?" she whispered to the wind.
---
Back in Seclusion…
Li Xuan returned to his cave, activating over ten isolation arrays in a single breath.
He sat cross-legged and opened the system.
---
[System – Status Overview]
Name: Li Xuan
Cultivation Realm: Nascent Soul – Peak
Lifespan: 3,400 Years
Dao Physique: Primordial Void Vessel Body
Main Technique: Silent Origin Sutra
Dharma Treasures: Heavenfall Mirror, Eclipse Sword Seed, Nine-Eyed Void Lotus
Next Reward In: 2 Years, 7 Months, 2 Days
Hidden Function Progress: 67%
System Comment: "Host remains undetected. Stealth level: Supreme. Continue avoiding large-scale exposure."
---
Li Xuan narrowed his eyes.
"The Demon Sect dares infiltrate the Azure Sky Sect… It's only a matter of time before they reveal more."
And with that thought, he began preparing a trap—one that would expose not only the spies but the puppet masters behind them.