Ascension Log

The night wind swept through the Inner Sect's upper courtyard, stirring the red lanterns that lined the Vermillion Plaza. The plaza was deserted, save for a single figure seated cross-legged on a marble bench—Kai Lin.

Above him, a broken moon hung low in the sky, casting fractured light across the sect's sleeping halls.

He had returned from the hidden vein hours ago. Yet the memory of the experiment, the whispering beast, and the sigil of the Crimson Hall lingered like smoke in his thoughts.

[System Alert: Daily Sign-In Available – Location: Vermillion Plaza]

[Proceed?]

He didn't hesitate.

"Proceed."

[Sign-In Successful.]

[Reward Acquired: Forbidden Technique – Bloodshade Shadowstep (Incomplete Scroll)]

[Note: Formerly sealed by the Council of Eight due to lethal instability. Restrictions removed.]

Kai's pupils contracted.

> I remember this…

They banned it after I used it to erase three elders during the Vermillion Coup.

He rose to his feet. The scroll unfolded itself midair—dripping crimson ink, each stroke of the technique etched in volatile spiritual script. Just reading it made his blood stir.

The system chimed again.

[Caution: Using this technique prematurely may damage meridians. Recommended usage: Only when cornered.]

Kai smirked.

> "If I'm cornered, I don't need warnings. I need corpses."

---

Footsteps.

Soft, deliberate, and not masked. He didn't look up.

"I knew I'd find you here," came a voice like a breeze gliding over steel.

Lianhua Jin—the Smiling Blade.

She wore a moon-silver robe, her inner disciple badge gleaming at her hip. Her violet eyes scanned Kai, searching, measuring.

> "You were in the sealed cavern beneath the old mines. Weren't you?"

Kai didn't respond.

She walked closer, stopping three paces away.

> "You suppressed your presence perfectly. Even the elder I was with couldn't sense you. But your residue was there. Barely... enough for someone like me."

He met her gaze.

> "Are you here to report me? Or test me?"

Lianhua smiled faintly.

> "Neither. I'm here to warn you. Whoever—or whatever—you encountered down there... is not something the sect wants uncovered."

Kai raised a brow. "And you care about what the sect wants?"

She laughed lightly. "No. But I care about surviving. I've studied the older formations. That mine wasn't just collapsed—it was sealed with intent. Crimson Hall markings, right?"

That earned her a subtle shift in Kai's posture.

> She's sharper than I thought.

Lianhua stepped closer. "I don't know what you are, Kai Lin. But I'm not your enemy—yet. Just don't get in my way when the trials start."

She turned to leave. Then paused.

> "Oh... and I lied. I did report what I sensed. The Inner Elders will be watching now. Especially Elder Zhen."

---

After she left, Kai remained in silence.

[System Alert: Vermillion Trial – 6 Days Remaining]

[Warning: Participants include Sect Successor Candidates. Hidden combat permitted.]

He began pacing.

The Vermillion Trial wasn't just a test—it was a battlefield for hidden grudges, political maneuvering, and underhanded eliminations. The Inner Elders allowed it, even encouraged it.

Kai would need allies—or pawns.

---

Elsewhere in the Inner Sect…

In a remote chamber beneath the Coldcloud Pavilion, three figures sat before a jade transmission mirror.

An image flickered into view—Lianhua Jin.

> "He's more dangerous than I expected. If I die during the trials… assume it was him."

The mirror pulsed.

A hoarse voice responded. "Noted. But if he is who we think… he won't die that easily."

---

Back in his room, Kai stood before an ancient mirror. His reflection flickered—briefly shifting into a different face. One from the past.

[Soul Lock Progress: 23% → 26%]

[Memory Fragment Approaching Threshold. Anchor 2 Required.]

He touched the mirror. "One more. Then I'll remember the second betrayal."

His aura surged—dark, sovereign, unbending.

---