The morning sun bled crimson across the Eastern Sky Pavilion. Below it, thousands of inner sect disciples gathered before a vast jade altar shaped like a coiling phoenix. Every three years, the Vermillion Trial began here—where blood, ambition, and fate clashed beneath the watchful eyes of the sect's elders.
This time, there was a storm in the air.
At the edge of the gathering crowd, Kai Lin stood motionless in his dark-gray robe. His expression was serene, unreadable. The crowd murmured around him—whispers of a newcomer, one whose aura devoured pressure instead of yielding to it.
Many recognized him as the "quiet one" from the outer sect who rose too fast.
Too quietly.
Too cleanly.
But only a few dared to truly look at him.
One of them stood on a nearby balcony—Elder Zhen, draped in red brocade robes laced with golden talismans. His gaze lingered on Kai with veiled interest.
> "He's not ordinary. That suppression... it smells of something long sealed."
---
[System Alert: Sign-In Location Detected – Vermillion Phoenix Trial Altar]
[Daily Sign-In Available. Proceed?]
"Proceed."
[Sign-In Successful.]
[Reward Acquired: Sovereign Echo Mask (Tier 2 Artifact)]
[Function: Distorts perception of your cultivation realm and identity for 3 hours. Limited activation: 3/day.]
Kai's fingers closed around the light-formed artifact as it appeared and vanished into his inventory. A subtle smile touched the edge of his lips.
> Now I can hunt without being hunted.
---
The Head Trial Master stepped forward. Elder Fang—old, bent, and half-mad from too many years near corrupted relics.
His voice echoed unnaturally across the square.
> "The Vermillion Trial begins now! One hundred disciples shall enter the Crimson Echo Realm. Only ten may leave unscathed. Survival is success. Victory is silence."
A ripple went through the crowd.
> "Ten only?"
> "They're lowering the count again..."
> "That's brutal, even for this sect."
Elder Fang raised a twisted jade token.
> "This year, the Crimson Echo Realm will synchronize with a sealed ruin. A structure not explored since the fall of the Crimson Hall. Those brave—or foolish—enough to descend deeper may earn more than placement."
A crimson light surged from the altar, forming a gate of flickering phoenix flames.
Elder Fang's voice dropped into a growl.
> "Step forward, chosen. And die well."
---
Inside the Crimson Echo Realm
It was a wasteland of broken spires and bleeding soil. The air howled like a mourning beast. Gravity shifted. Spiritual energy turned sluggish, resisting foreign qi.
Kai landed on a jagged cliff edge, already scanning.
He activated the Sovereign Echo Mask. Instantly, his presence dimmed—his cultivation appeared to drop to Mid Spirit Vein, his face shifting just enough to be unfamiliar.
A blade struck from behind.
He spun, catching the weapon with two fingers. The wielder's eyes widened—a senior-ranked disciple.
> "Y-You're not supposed to be—"
Crack.
Kai shattered the man's shoulder with a palm and hurled him off the cliff without breaking stride.
One down.
---
Across the field, three factions had already begun forming alliances:
1. The Serpent Sigil Syndicate – Led by disciple Yao Heng, arrogant, strong, and shielded by elder favoritism.
2. The Jade Roar Hall – A defensive coalition favoring numbers and formations.
3. The Veiled Moon Cell – Silent, assassins, never speak, never miss.
Lianhua Jin—Smiling Blade—aligned with no one.
Yet.
But her eyes kept searching for someone.
> He's here. I can feel it.
---
[System Alert: Unregistered Faction Influence Detected – Crimson Hall Residual Aura Nearby]
[Optional Mission: Investigate the ruin at the realm's core.]
Kai moved through shattered terrain, eliminating scouts from each faction with quiet efficiency. His movements blurred—part shadow, part ghost. Whenever he struck, the system suppressed his spiritual fluctuations. He wasn't just eliminating competitors. He was building something.
A message.
---
By nightfall, 27 disciples had been forced out of the realm or incapacitated.
Kai had acquired two more minor sign-ins:
Blight Lotus Seed – Can corrupt a spiritual formation for 30 seconds
Silent Step Sandals – Temporarily erase footstep sound and spiritual traces
But the real prize was deeper in.
---
At the trial's second dawn, a tower appeared in the distance—twisted, floating on air. It radiated remnants of an ancient crimson array.
Kai approached it alone.
Halfway there, he encountered Yao Heng and two bodyguards.
> "Well, well. A rat scurrying toward treasure?"
Kai didn't answer.
> "I heard what you did to Senior Lan. Impressive. But too noisy for a rat."
Kai removed the Sovereign Echo Mask.
> "Then try me."
Yao sneered and attacked.
He never landed a blow.
"Bloodshade Shadowstep."
Kai vanished. Then reappeared behind him.
One strike.
Yao Heng crumpled, blood mist exploding from his back.
The guards ran.
Kai didn't follow.
---
Inside the Ruined Tower
Kai found a sealed relic—an altar layered in jade and obsidian. At its center: a cracked mirror.
It pulsed.
When he touched it, everything changed.
A wave of memory crashed through him.
---
[Memory Anchor II Acquired – Timeline Fragment Unlocked]
[Progress: Soul Lock 26% → 34%]
[Fragment Summary: You were once the Crimson Hall's Executioner. You erased them to protect a secret… now lost.]
Kai staggered back.
> I was part of them? No—used by them. Then I turned.
The mirror flashed.
A voice—his own—spoke in echo:
> "Bury it all. And when I wake again, let my vengeance be silent."
---
Outside the Tower
Lianhua Jin finally found him.
She didn't attack.
Just looked at the ruin, the bodies, and then him.
> "I won't ask who you are anymore. I'll ask what you want."
Kai's voice was cold steel.
> "Silence."
She tilted her head.
> "Then you'll need more than skill. You'll need… control."
---