Moonlight drenched the mountain clearing in a silver glow, casting eerie shadows across the swaying Midnight Lunar Grass. The delicate blue flowers pulsed with soft luminescence, their rhythm synced to the full moon's zenith. The serene beauty clashed starkly with the lethal tension gripping the air.
Lin Tian stood as a shield before Lin Alis, his gaze locked on three masked figures. Their bone-white masks gleamed, etched with runes that drank in the surrounding spiritual energy. Black robes hid their forms, but their auras—sharp and heavy—betrayed Foundation Establishment cultivation far beyond his own.
"You spoke of my father,"Lin Tian said, voice steady to buy time."What do you know about Lin Wei?"
The leader tilted his masked head, voice cold and distorted."Irrelevant. Your father's sins die with you tonight."
Without warning, the assassin on the right lunged, a dagger of dark spiritual energy materializing in his grip. Lin Tian shoved Lin Alis aside, raising a shimmering energy shield just as the blade struck. The impact jarred his arm, pain flaring, but the shield held—barely.
"Combat analysis complete,"the Destiny System's icy voice echoed in his mind."Opponents:Mid-Foundation Establishment. Survival odds without intervention:12.3%."
Lin Tian gritted his teeth."System, I need more power."
"Acknowledged. Temporary seal reduction initiated. Warning:Overuse risks permanent meridian damage."
A torrent of heat surged through his meridians, his sealed spiritual roots cracking open further. Energy that once trickled now roared, exhilarating yet agonizing as it strained his pathways. His senses sharpened, the world slowing slightly in his heightened state.
The second assassin flanked him, hands weaving a pattern that birthed razor-sharp wind blades. They sliced through the air, invisible and deadly.
"Behind you!"Lin Alis shouted, hurling a medical talisman. It burst in a flare of green light, scattering the wind blades for a precious moment.
Lin Tian seized the opening, channeling his enhanced power."Advanced Elemental Fireball!"
A blazing orb, larger and fiercer than before, ignited in his palm. Threads of wind energy wove through the flames, making it volatile and swift. He launched it at the first assassin, who twisted to dodge—but the fireball's wind-driven speed outpaced him. It slammed into his shoulder, erupting in a spiral of flame that sent him tumbling, robes smoldering.
"Impressive,"the leader said, a hint of surprise breaking his monotone."The seal has weakened more than we thought."
Lin Tian ignored him, eyes darting to the Midnight Lunar Grass. The system had noted their lunar essence—pure but unstable.
"Caution:Lunar essence manipulation requires precise control,"it warned.
"I need every edge,"Lin Tian muttered, extending his Spiritual Perception. The flowers'energy answered, wisps of blue light rising to swirl around him like ghostly flames.
Lin Alis gasped."That's impossible! Qi Condensation cultivators can't harness external essence!"
The leader's tone hardened."Kill him now—before he masters it!"
The remaining assassins charged, their speed a blur. Lin Alis darted forward, slapping a talisman onto the second assassin's mask. Green runes flared, and he staggered, disoriented.
Lin Tian faced the leader, lunar essence cloaking his arms in ethereal blue fire."Two mistakes,"he said, voice calm but edged with steel."Attacking on a full moon—and mentioning my father."
He thrust his hands downward, channeling the essence into the earth. The ground erupted, blue-white light forming a jagged cage around the leader. The brief trap gave Lin Tian his chance.
Drawing on his temporary power, he conjured twin Elemental Fireballs, one in each hand. They roared toward the leader, merging mid-air into a blazing tornado. The explosion lit the clearing like a second moon, the shockwave scattering grass and stone.
When the light faded, the leader stood within a cracked spiritual barrier, his mask split to reveal a scarred face contorted with fury."A mere Qi Condensation whelp…"he hissed.
Lin Tian's Spiritual Perception zeroed in on the mask's runes, spotting a flaw in their pattern. With pinpoint accuracy, he fired a thin stream of fire at the central rune. The mask shattered, exposing a middle-aged man with a jagged scar across his cheek.
"You're Lin clan,"Lin Tian said, reading the man's energy signature."Not an elder, but you carry our clan's mark."
The assassin snarled, gathering a devastating surge of energy. Before he could unleash it, Lin Alis threw her final talisman—a sleep compulsion that dazed him for a heartbeat.
Lin Tian struck, slashing a precise blade of spiritual energy across the leader's chest. It wasn't lethal but severed key energy channels, crippling his power.
"This isn't over,"the leader growled, clutching his wound."The Shadow Society has marked you. The seal must hold."
He triggered a concealment talisman, and thick smoke engulfed the clearing. When it cleared, the assassins were gone, leaving only bloodstains and scorched earth.
Lin Tian dropped to one knee, his meridians screaming from the strain. The temporary power faded, leaving him drained.
"Warning:Microfractures in spiritual pathways detected. Immediate meditation required to stabilize."
"Shadow Society,"Lin Tian rasped, turning to Lin Alis."That's what you were about to say, isn't it? About my father."
Lin Alis knelt beside him, her medical instincts kicking in."You're overextended. Take this first."She handed him a green pill from her pouch."Energy Stabilization Pill—Elder Feng's recipe."
Lin Tian hesitated, probing her energy for deceit. It was clear, steady.
"If I wanted you dead, I'd have let them finish you,"she said bluntly.
He swallowed the pill, relief dulling the pain in his channels."Now, talk."
Lin Alis scanned the clearing for threats before speaking softly."I only know fragments—overheard from Elder Feng and forbidden medical records. Your father, Lin Wei, wasn't just a cultivator. He led a secret clan taskforce investigating external threats. Fifteen years ago, he uncovered the Shadow Society—a group older than our clan."
Lin Tian's jaw tightened."And they're tied to my seal?"
"I think so. Lin Wei found something they wanted buried. After your birth, he vanished on a mission. When he returned, he was dying."Her eyes held his."He brought you to Elder Feng, insisting you be checked. The records are mostly gone, but one note survived:'The child bears celestial interference. Concealment critical.'"
"Celestial interference?"Lin Tian frowned.
"An old term,"she said."Ancient texts mention rare souls tied to forces beyond our realm—blessings or curses, depending on the source."
"Hypothesis updated:73%chance of celestial heritage linked to system compatibility,"the system whispered.
Lin Tian stood, steadied by the pill."We need to move. They might come back."
"The Midnight Lunar Grass,"Lin Alis reminded him."Second Elder's task."
He managed a faint smirk."I keep my promises."
They harvested five perfect stalks, plus extras Lin Alis claimed would aid his recovery. As they worked, Lin Tian processed the revelations. The Shadow Society. His father's mission. A celestial link. His life had been shaped by secrets he'd never suspected.
"Why risk helping me?"he asked as they descended the mountain.
Lin Alis paused, her braid catching the moonlight."Elder Feng raised me after my parents died. He's haunted by what happened to you and your father. He opposed the sealing but was outvoted by the clan's higher-ups."
"So he sent you to watch me?"
"To help, if I could,"she corrected."Though not against assassins."
Her energy remained honest."Thank you,"Lin Tian said."But I'm still cautious."
She smiled."Good. Trust is earned."
Morning light bathed Second Elder Lin Mei's garden, dew sparkling on spirit herbs like scattered jewels. Pink peach blossoms drifted lazily, framing the elder as she sipped tea beneath her tree.
Lin Tian approached, the pouch of Midnight Lunar Grass secure in his robe. After parting with Lin Alis, he'd meditated to stabilize his channels, grappling with the night's truths.
"You look weary, young Lin,"Lin Mei said, setting her cup aside."The mountains proved…eventful?"
"More than expected,"he replied, presenting the pouch."Your herbs, fresh and preserved."
She inspected them with a practiced eye."Flawless. Harvested at the moon's peak. You have a steady hand."
He bowed, accepting the praise.
"Yet,"she continued, her tone sharpening,"I sense more than herbs crossed your path."
Lin Tian met her gaze, ready for the test."Three cultivators took issue with my presence. Foundation Establishment, masked with suppression runes."
Her brow arched."Curious that such power would bother a Qi Condensation disciple gathering herbs."
"A misunderstanding, perhaps,"he said, feigning innocence.
"Perhaps."Her eyes probed him, unreadable."Or your recent…changes…have stirred unwanted attention."
Lin Tian kept his expression neutral, sensing she knew more than she let on.
"Regardless,"she said, producing the promised library token,"you've earned this. One month's access to the historical section."She paused, adding casually,"The eastern alcove holds our oldest records—some on rare cultivation anomalies."
The hint was deliberate—help or trap, he couldn't tell.
"Thank you, Elder,"he said, bowing.
As he turned to leave, her voice stopped him."Lin Tian."
He glanced back.
"The clan has many currents—some visible, some hidden."Her gaze was piercing."Choose your path wisely."
The words lingered—warning or guidance? Lin Tian bowed again and left, mind racing.
"Second Elder Lin Mei:42%chance of Shadow Society ties, 87%chance of seal knowledge,"the system calculated.
"She's pointing me to the eastern alcove,"Lin Tian murmured."But why?"
"Insufficient data. Exercise caution."
Back at his cottage, Lin Tian secured the door and sank onto his meditation mat. The system's promised seal reduction began.
"Seal reduction underway. Spiritual root access:25%."
Warmth spread through his channels, easing the battle's strain. He reviewed the night's revelations:the Shadow Society, his father's mission, celestial interference—all tied to the seal that had defined his life.
"System, analyze our next step,"he commanded.
"Recommendation:Investigate eastern alcove for supplementary data. Secondary:Prepare for Shadow Society retaliation."
A new quest flashed:
Quest:The Forbidden Grounds
Objective:Infiltrate the Lin Clan's Restricted Area for celestial interference data
Difficulty:High
Reward:Advanced Cultivation Technique, 5%Seal Reduction
Warning:Detection risks severe punishment
Lin Tian's breath caught. The Restricted Area—a hidden valley behind the ancestral hall—was a clan taboo, guarded by elders and ancient formations.
"Suicide,"he muttered."But the truth is there."
"Quest optional. Probability of critical seal data:78.3%."
Lin Tian weighed the risks. The eastern alcove might yield clues, but the Restricted Area held the real answers—about his seal, his father, and his celestial ties.
"I'll start with the alcove,"he decided."Then I'll plan the infiltration."
As evening fell, he gripped the library token, its weight a reminder of eyes watching him. The clan's currents were shifting, and he was caught in their pull.
Outside, the distant mountains loomed, hiding the Restricted Area's entrance. His Spiritual Perception stirred, catching a faint, familiar energy thread—identical to his seal's signature.
"Father,"he whispered into the dusk,"what did you leave for me?"
The system hummed, plotting paths through the gathering shadows.