The halls of power within the **Scarlet Flame Empire** buzzed with speculation, fear, and disbelief. Word of the annihilation of the **Azure Valley Sect** spread far and wide, leaving a storm of unanswered questions in its wake. The survivors' accounts described an enigma—**a blind youth with no cultivation aura** who wielded raw physical strength to destroy an entire sect.
The descriptions were consistent: a young man, no older than seventeen, bearing countless scars across his body. His milky-white eyes and deliberate movements suggested blindness, yet he moved and fought with a precision that seemed impossible without sight. More perplexing still, survivors claimed they felt no trace of cultivation aura from him.
This confounded the empire's experts. Suppressing one's aura entirely while displaying such immense power was unheard of for anyone below the **Soul Refining Stage**. In that stage, cultivators could refine their soul, gaining abilities far beyond the physical—allowing perception without eyes and clarity far surpassing natural sight. Yet for someone so young to achieve such mastery was implausible, even for the empire's prodigies.
The survivors' accounts of his apparent youth—a mere sixteen or seventeen—were dismissed by skeptics as fear-driven exaggeration. Yet the undeniable destruction of the Azure Valley Sect left an unsettling truth: someone with monstrous power had wrought devastation on an unimaginable scale.
The empire's factions were sharply divided.
- **Third-rate sects**, like **Crimson Star Sect** and **Golden Blade Hall**, were paralyzed by fear. Both sects shared borders with the now-destroyed Azure Valley Sect, and their leaders convened emergency meetings to fortify defenses. "If he truly has no cultivation, he's just a brute with unnatural strength," said Elder Sun of Crimson Star Sect. "But even brutes can break stone if left unchecked. We will prepare as though he could strike us next."
- **Second-rate sects**, like **Silver Frost Sect** and **Obsidian Moon Hall**, were cautious but unnerved. Elder Feng of Obsidian Moon Hall spoke gravely: "This was no simple feat. Strength alone cannot explain such devastation. If this youth lacks cultivation, then what monstrous power fuels him? Our sect must tread lightly."
- The **first-rate sects**, however, were split in their reactions.
**The Heavenly Sword Sect** immediately dispatched scouts and spies, determined to uncover the truth. They considered the event a challenge to the stability of all cultivation powers. "If this boy is a threat to one sect, he is a threat to us all," declared Sect Leader Yan Tian.
In stark contrast, the **Emerald Lotus Sect** chose not to intervene. Renowned for their detachment from worldly conflicts, they deemed the event beneath their concern. "This is the folly of lower sects," an elder declared. "We do not concern ourselves with ants fighting ants."
Meanwhile, the **Crimson Sun Pavilion** adopted an aggressive approach. They issued a **wanted decree**, circulating detailed sketches of Liang Zhen based on the survivors' accounts. They sent their elite disciples—several of whom were at the **Spiritual Bonding Stage**—to track him down. Among these disciples was **Luo Qing**, a prodigy whose strength rivaled even the sect elders. With a calm demeanor and razor-sharp precision, Luo Qing was often described as a rising star destined to lead the pavilion in the future.
In the imperial capital of **Vermillion Crown**, the **House of Zhu** and the **Five Great Families** were thrown into disarray by the Azure Valley Sect's destruction.
Crown Prince **Zhu Jianhong**, skeptical of the survivors' accounts, dismissed the notion of an untrained mortal being capable of such destruction. "The soul refining stage? Blind? A teenager? These are the delusions of frightened people. Find the truth, not fairy tales."
Emperor **Zhu Chenglong**, however, was less dismissive. "Even fear-driven exaggeration often holds a grain of truth," he said. "The question is not whether he is a cultivator, but *how* he managed to accomplish this. Whether through cultivation or something else, such power cannot be ignored."
Among the **Five Great Families**, reactions varied:
The **Yu Clan**, masters of alchemy, expressed fascination with the scars described on Liang Zhen's body. "Scars of such magnitude often indicate grueling training—or perhaps cruel experimentation," mused Elder Yu Shen. "If this youth is no cultivator, what forged him into a weapon capable of annihilating a sect?"
The **Fang Clan**, known for military strength, openly doubted the Youth's lack of cultivation. "No mortal, blind or otherwise, can withstand elemental techniques from seasoned elders," scoffed Fang Yiming, the clan's general. "Either the survivors lied, or this boy wields techniques beyond comprehension."
The **Li Clan**, merchants and strategists, urged caution. "This is no ordinary matter. Whether mortal or cultivator, his strength undermines the balance of power "
Amid the empire's debates, fear rippled outward. The notion of a lone individual—especially one shrouded in mystery—capable of eliminating an entire sect shook even the most confident powers.
For the **common people**, the name **Liang Zhen** became a legend, whispered in tones of awe and dread. Stories of the **scarred, blind teenager who razed an entire sect** spread like wildfire, growing more ominous with every retelling.
---
Far from the political maneuvering and speculation, two women sat in the ruins of the Azure Valley Sect, haunted by their memories of Liang Zhen.
Lian Hua clenched her fists, her gaze fixed on the bloodstained ground. "We thought we knew him," she said bitterly. "We pitied him, looked down on him. And now? We don't even recognize the person he's become."
Zhen Yue trembled, her voice heavy with regret. "He was always there for us. Even when we were indifferent to his pain... And now?" Her words faltered, tears streaming down her face.
Both women had seen the sincerity of his once-gentle smile, now replaced by cold indifference. They had felt the overwhelming force of his killing intent—a force so terrifying it had left them paralyzed.
For the first time, they understood the depth of their loss. Liang Zhen had loved them sincerely, without expectation or condition. And now, they would never have the chance to apologize.
As the empire debated and the survivors trembled, Liang Zhen moved onward, an untraceable shadow.
The scars on his body hinted at a brutal past. His unseeing eyes spoke of a man who had endured unimaginable suffering. And his actions—razing an entire sect, sparing only a few—left a trail of unanswered questions.
Had he truly abandoned cultivation? Was he simply a weapon forged through inhuman strength and willpower? Or was there something far darker, something the empire had yet to comprehend?
One thing was certain: for the first time in centuries, the empire trembled. Not at the might of armies, but at the shadow of a single man.